In the Pale Starlight

by lordcornwalis

Following his breakup with Jackie, Marco moves to Mewni full time. Given a second chance to be with Star, will he finally find the courage to recognize and act on his feelings? Meanwhile, a sinister plot to upend the Butterfly Dynasty is brewing as new enemies rise. Can Star discover the threat in time to save her family?

20. The Sun King Pt II

A/N: I LIVE! Holy crap what a 2023. Covid, over time madness, stress, personal relationships imploding. What a nightmare! Thankfully things are turning the corner and my stress levels are back to something below a coronary, so I can actually feel creative again!

Hope everyone enjoys this one! I'm looking forward to putting out the next O&FQ with Ronald in the next month or two, and then back on to this one!

In the Pale Starlight

Chapter 16. Part Two

The Sun King

---

"Nobody move, you're all under arrest!" The officer in the technicolor trench coat narrowed his eyes as Marco shared a stunned look with Star.

"For WHAT?!"

Marco started and turned to see Tom, his eyes three pits of hellish orange and outrage written all over his face as he stepped toward the officer still brandishing his gaudy badge. "Oh, Tom, buddy…" he muttered under his breath just as a sharp whistle from the officer sounded and another pulled out a stubby, glitter-coated tube. A sharp buzzing like an angry bee sounded and Tom went rigid as some kind of glowing restraint flew out and wrapped itself around him, pulling him to the ground like a strong magnet.

"Release me this instant! I am Prince Thomas Luc–" Tom's words were cut off as the restraint shifted around his body to form a gag over his mouth and leave him writhing feebly.

"Ahh, that's better," the lead officer said, brushing garishly color-streaked hair out of his eyes as he lowered his badge and turned away from the still slightly struggling demon. "As I stated earlier, you are all under arrest for violation of the Neonia Peace Statutes, among other crimes…" he finished, his eyes briefly flicking to the corpse of Narus now lying in an expanding pool of crimson.

"Oh, uhh officer? We can explain." Marco shared a desperate look with Star before he took a step toward the man instinctively and realized he didn't seem to have any strength in his legs anymore. With a startled yelp, he felt his legs fold underneath him as the polished dancefloor came crashing up to meet him. *SMACK* He gritted his teeth as his chest pancaked onto the hard floor, his arms barely slowing him down. The impact blew out the air in his lungs, and he spent several moments hunched up gasping for breath as a concerned Star knelt next to him.

"That's a new tactic…" The officer raised an eyebrow as he motioned for several of his men to handcuff an uncharacteristically silent Janna. "Usually when they try to run, they get a little farther than step one before we apprehend them."

Star didn't even bother sparing him a look as she waited for Marco to catch his breath. Locking eyes with him, he seemed to understand her unspoken question as he wheezed out a soft, "I'm okay, Star, really. It's the same thing that happened last time I think.

"What!" she hissed at him, panic rising in her chest, "I thought Glossaryck said you'd be fine after a couple of weeks? What do you mean it's the same thing as last time?"

"I barely understand half of what the guy tells me, but it feels just like that time a couple weeks ago." Marco did his best to shrug from his propped-up elbows and was rewarded by gently sliding back to the ground as the strength left his shoulders.

Star grimaced as she reached down and pulled him back up onto his elbows, not letting go of his shoulders as she was afraid he'd simply flop back to the floor. "Sorry…not mad at you, just wish stupid Glossaryck would just tell us what the heck is going on," she grumbled before a thought snapped in her brain. "Marco, what was Higgs doing with those two creeps?"

"I don't actually know," he said, looking pensive as he racked his brain for answers.

"She didn't seem pleased to see them," added Star, "like they weren't even supposed to be here."

"EXCUSE ME!" The ringing voice of the lead officer made her twist back around to glare at him. He was holding some kind of device in his hand that was projecting an image of her face with her name around it. "Princess Star Butterfly, you may be royalty, but let's save the discussion until after you've been booked. There's usually not this much talking during this part," he said, clearly annoyed as he motioned for the rest of his men to take them into custody.

"Could you?" She held up a finger, huffing out her own breath of annoyance to match his. "I'm having a very important discussion with my boyfriend right now. So if you could just give us a minute Mr. Officer Man, I'd reallllllly appreciate it, ok? Thankssss," she finished, turning back to Marco. "Plus, I don't know if you noticed it, but she looked …scared."

"I saw that too." She watched his face darken as his eyes met hers again and she could see something she didn't expect: fear. "Star," he began, grimacing as he struggled to roll up to a sitting position, "I think Higgs is in way over her head. I think we need to find her soon before she gets herself killed or kills somebody."

"Oh for fuck's sa–take them!" ordered the officer, pulling out his restraint launcher and firing.

o-O-o-O-o-O-o

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Higgs roared the second she'd strode through the swirling portal and heard it seal behind her. White-hot fury had replaced the fear and uncertainty that had flashed through her when she saw Marco and Star, washing it away like a tsunami. Clenching her fist, she stopped and looked down her nose at Drummond, who was sitting propped up against the wall of the room they'd rented in The Golden Cob. He was glaring pure hatred at her through a face that was half-burnt and rent with multiple gashes from his impact with the bar, one eye almost completely swollen shut.

"You and that pile of dead meat back on Neonia had one job, ONE!" she continued to storm, not caring at all at the snarl of defiance on Drummond's face at the mention of Narus's demise. "Lay low until tomorrow night and then sneak into Butterfly Palace to deal with Rolfe. WHAT PART OF THAT PLAN DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

Drummond shot to his feet with surprising speed despite his extensive injuries, his face now twisted in an ugly rage to match her own. Reaching up he grabbed the singed and torn collar of his shirt before tearing it open and pointing at the vivid lines of scar tissue raised off of his chest. "That scum killed my brother! He gave me these! Marco WAS the mission from the second we saw him. I couldn't give a squirt of hot piss about killing that failure Rolfe."

She didn't flinch, nor did she back up. She merely reached into her pocket and extracted her most powerful weapon, her compact. She watched as the ire on Drummond's face began to flag as she flipped it open and hovered a thumb over the button to dial Appleton. "You know who I work for, you're not stupid Drummond. Well…" she sneered at him, "at least not suicidally stupid."

"What makes you think you'd live to make that cal-"

Higgs was ready to be challenged, expecting his over-emotional state to cloud his better judgment. That is why she'd driven the crown of her head into the bridge of Drummond's nose before he'd even finished his threat. The assassin fell back, letting out a bark of pain as she drove forward bringing her fist around to crash into his jaw. He staggered, tripping when his foot became entangled in a chair, and Higgs wasted no time in driving another fist into the man's blunt nose. It cracked with an audible *snap* before she drove forward in an explosion of movement, driving her shoulder into the big man's chest and knocking him flat.

"Let me make things, perfectly clear," she said, her voice hard as she pressed the tip of her dagger into the hollow of his throat while he blinked watery and unfocused eyes at her. "I hate Marco as much or more than you, but I didn't let that fact blind me to the mission. You know exactly what happens if I make that phone call. Appleton despises failure and even worse, so too does your guild master. Even in the remote possibility your beat-up and wounded ass could win a fight against me; you know as well as I do you wouldn't make it a week before he found you and made what happened to Narus look like a mercy."

For a moment, she was sure he'd choose suicide over rationality, that he'd be unable to overcome the storm inside of him that had every muscle in his neck standing out like braided rope. But in the end, self-preservation won the day and she watched his body slowly relax as the last of the blind rage twisting his face faded into slack-jawed compliance. "So you do have a little sense after all…" she chuckled, giving him a sanguine grin as she slipped the dagger back into its scabbard on her belt. Crossing the room to pull a small satchel out of her bag, she tossed it next to him. "Clean yourself up so I can count on you in a fight. Tomorrow," she grimaced at the thought, "that idiot Marco is being elevated to court. We'll use that distraction to gain access to the dungeons. I know of a secret entrance that an insider in the castle will leave open for us. You fulfill your contract and maybe actually survive the fuck up of your life."

Getting easier to lie it seems… whispered her conscience with an annoying twinge. Higgs ignored the distraction as she watched Drummond consider her words before nodding painfully. "Smart choice. Be ready at daylight, it will take some work to get close to the castle unspotted."

Thirty minutes later, Higgs was safely secured in a corner booth enjoying an ale as she waited for her meager dinner to be delivered. She'd never been able to eat much on the eve of big assignments. Even back to her first year as a squire, she'd always found her nerves wouldn't allow more than a simple meal of a thin corn soup or some bread and butter. In fact, tonight's order was so threadbare, the barmaid had raised an eyebrow.

"Just corn soup? M'lady, surely I could bring you more from the kitchen? The food is included with your room and it's festival weekend," she'd pressed, seemingly incredulous that anyone would order such plain and simple food when roasted pig goat and stuffed corn cakes were in the offing. A cold stare had been Higgs's answer, a look that put an end to any further bothersome questions.

"Stupid fucking assassins…" she muttered into her mug of ale. What had been a risky mission had suddenly blossomed into something far more dangerous now that she had only one half-dead assassin with her to get the job done. Any number of a million things could go wrong tomorrow and blow their mission, a mission that was making her feel more and more like she was in over her head. Stop feeling fucking sorry for yourself and get on with the job, she thought, gritting her teeth as she slammed her tankard down.

"Temper temper …Lady Livingston." Higgs looked up at the familiar voice to see a smirking Cecil Applebottom. He was heavily disguised in a dark traveling cloak with his face skillfully hidden, but the white leather eyepatch she knew he favored gave him away. "May I join you?" he asked, his teeth dazzling in a jackal's smile that did not extend to his eyes. She didn't answer with words, choosing simply to grunt and nod to the open seat in front of her.

"Tough day?" he asked, chuckling self-indulgently at his bad joke

"Can I help you, Baron?" she asked, without an ounce of deference.

He held his tongue for several moments, regarding her with a calculating air until finally, he spoke. "Where are your charges?" The question was simple and unassuming, yet Higgs could sense the underlying accusation. This was no mere friendly check-in, this was something entirely more sinister.

"Sleeping upstairs," she answered back smoothly, not daring to alter her face an iota. Cecil was a practiced liar and had ample ability to spot others of his kind, especially bad ones. She'd personally seen him call out negligent guards who lied about various minor infractions with as little as an errant eyebrow twitch. If he even suspected that their mission was in even half-as-shambolic shape as it truly was, she'd be in major trouble.

"A wonder Drummond can sleep, as covered in burns as he is…"

Shit. The word flashed through her head as time seemed to slow down in the tavern and she became very aware of how hard her pulse was pounding in her ear. When he reports back to Appleton, I am so fuc-

"And Narus? Has he found other sleeping accommodations? Were the inn's beds not to his liking?" Cecil's words interrupted her thoughts and she found her hand unconsciously drifting slowly down toward the dagger on her belt. "It would seem your little…complication was a bit more serious than you led my nephew to believe."

"I–" She blanched, mentally scrambling for damage control, but found she couldn't even bring herself to lie. Shaking her head ruefully, she let out a weary sigh before explaining, "Those two idiots spotted Marco at the festival this afternoon and decided their assigned mission could wait while they indulged in some payback. They tracked him to Neonia where they tried to kill him."

"I take it from the appearance of our remaining assassin that they failed?"

"Marco didn't even have a scratch on hi–"

"Were you recognized?" interrupted Cecil, his eye flashing dangerously as he pulled his head further back into his upturned cloak.

"No," she lied, not even realizing she'd done so until after the words had left her mouth. It was as smooth as butter, her face blank as she returned his piercing gaze. Duke Appleton might overlook her failure to keep a solid handle on them, especially when they'd gone so horribly off mission on their own despite her best efforts to track them down. But if he knew she'd been recognized by Marco, or even worse, that he suspected she was caught up with him… Higgs felt a chill run through her at the thought of how quickly she'd feel the steel kiss of his sword, Sorrow, opening up her throat.

"Think. Very. Carefully. If the boy did and he goes to the Queen, she'll likely lock down the castle. I don't have to tell you how displeased my nephew will be. Not to mention me…"

Another not-so-veiled threat, but this time Higgs didn't flinch. "I'm positive. That idiot's barely smarter than Babyman, I wasn't recognized."

The Baron humphed. "Of that, we shall see…" he said, holding up a hand when she made to speak. "To that end, we've decided to provide additional assistance. My efforts to assist my nephew's plans have at last borne fruit and as we speak, a distraction for the Kingdom is on its way tomorrow. Delay your ingress to the castle until then."

"Yes."

Cecil snorted, clearly annoyed at her continued lack of respect, but instead simply stood as he noticed the serving maid heading their way with a steaming bowl of soup. "And Higgs? No more mistakes…"

o-O-o-O-o-O-o

"This is completely insane! What do these clowns think they're doing keeping us in a cage like this?!" shouted Tom, gripping the vivid pink bars of their cell as he strained to peer down the cell block where he could just see the back of a head through a barred window. The man turned slightly, peering at him through the stout metal door before turning back. "Hey! YOU! YEAH, I SEE YOU ASSHOLE! I AM GOING TO SUE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND EVERYONE ONE OF YOU CHICKEN SHITS!"

"Pipe down prisoner, or I'll put you in the delouser again," the bored-sounding guard shot back before sliding a metal plate over the bars, effectively silencing his protestations.

"Uhh–" Star cocked an eyebrow at her fuming ex-boyfriend.

"He's been working on the anger management stuff," interjected Janna, before leaning forward and yanking on a still-snarling Tom's belt, pulling him away from the bars. He continued standing there, narrowing his three eyes at the guard as he tapped his foot angrily.

"Holy corn… I mean, wow…" Star blushed at her initial reaction, feeling intensely awkward as Janna smirked at her. "I'm just–I mean the old Tom I knew would have burnt the jail cell down by now."

"Just because I'm pissed off doesn't mean I can't hear the two of you…" grumbled Tom, sparing the wholly disinterested guard a final scorching look before slumping next to Janna. "And yes, I know the old me would have freaked out and probably turned this whole place into a tinderbox, but I'm still going to my weekly meetings with Brian and I think I'm making some real progress."

Star couldn't help but smile as she watched Tom unclench his fists several times in an attempt to work through what she suspected was a breathing exercise. Like the ones Marco always does… she thought, worrying now for her missing boyfriend.

When they'd all woken up, they were in the back of some kind of vehicle. It had reminded her of the bus they'd taken to school while she was on earth, but with small, thicker windows and painted in a color scheme even she thought was loud. After they got to a similarly decorated station, the four of them were escorted into a central area where they were "processed" as the officer in charge had put it. That had involved an unpleasant sensation of being scanned in a booth that had made every strand of Star's hair stand on end, as well as a painful prick on the finger when she'd been asked to put a hand in a device mounted to what looked like a small disco ball. That's when they'd taken Marco.

Up until that point, she'd been helping him stay upright, spotting him as he took small steps and assured her it, "Wasn't as bad as last time." And while she couldn't argue the fact that he didn't need Cloudy to move around at all, she was still very concerned with how weak he seemed to be. When she'd stepped away to deal with the booth, another officer had moved to assist him, but before she could even blink, he was being whisked through a door.

"Marco!" she'd half-shouted, moving to stop them before he held up a hand, giving her a pleading look. "Star, it's okay, they just need to ask me some questions about what happened back at the club," he'd reassured her.

That had been over three hours ago.

"Star?"

Janna's question snapped her out of her thoughts and she started slightly at the worried looks both of her friends were giving her. "Sorry, just…"

"Worried?" Janna let out a little chuckle. "He'll be fine, trust me. As someone who's been arrested on several false allegations back on Earth, I can tell these cops are total pushovers. I mean look at this jail, I think they copied the decor from our local Chuck E. Cheese…"

"The place with the horrible mouse?" Star wrinkled her nose at the memory. The pizza and games had been fun, but she and Marco had been asked to leave after she'd Narwhal blasted the animatronic mouse. The manager hadn't been satisfied with her reasoning that the while the lowered lights and jarring music had seemed threatening at the time, maybe someone who had only been on Earth less than a month might have misread the situation.

"You're worried about him?" Tom sounded incredulous now as he stared at both of them. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just saw Marco dismantle a guy three times his size and make it look like he wasn't even trying. I know he can use your wand and like 'Dip Down' or whatever…" he said, wiggling his arms in front of him for emphasis, "but I didn't know he was like…an absolute badass? Think he might give me a run for my money and I'm half-demon."

"Babe, he would absolutely destroy you," said Janna matter-of-factly.

"What? I can literally fly," sputtered Tom, but Star shushed him as the heavy metal door at the end of the cellblock clattered open and the same officer that arrested them stepped through.

"Princess Star Butterfly, Prince Thomas Lucitor, Ms. Janna Ordonia," he began once he'd stopped in front of the bars. His voice was all business as he referenced a shimmering rainbow crystal in his hand that was projecting their portraits and names in the air in front of him. "I am here to inform you that you are being charged as an accessory to mass disruption of public frivolity in the first degree. Our media and communications department has gone home for the evening so you will be unable to contact your parents until tomorrow morning whereafter, you shall be arraigned."

Star stood off her bench, her fists clenched as she stormed over to where the guard was already turning back to leave. "This is crazy, that creep Narus attacked us! Marco didn't do anything besides defend himself!" she pleaded, but the officer didn't respond, simply walking away.

"Un-fucking-believable. Star, Janna, step back. I'm breaking us out of here." Star turned at the feel of a hand on her shoulder and watched as Tom stepped by her to grasp the bars. There was a flash of flame before he yelped, jumping back from the bars and grabbing for his wrist. She could see whispy tendrils of smoke coming from under a glittery band there. It was flat and thin like the bands she used to wear at the bounce lounge and immediately, she saw she was wearing a twin of his on her wrist.

"Don't bother with any magic or demon tricks to try anything stupid, the bracelets will incapacitate you if you push it." The officer gave Tom a patronizing look before turning his attention back to where Star was defiantly glaring back at him. "Your friend will be returned pending the results of his interrogation."

"Man, what a dickhole…" muttered Janna, stepping next to Star and watching as they were once again locked inside on their own. A rustling to her side dragged her attention to where Star was rooting around in her hair, tongue clamped between her teeth as she frantically searched for something.

"Uhh Starship? You good?" asked Tom, but she wasn't paying attention. I know I have one stuck in here somewhere… she thought, her fingers sifting through layer after layer of hair until finally–"A-HA!" Star shouted, pulling her prize free and holding it up for her friends to see.

"A bobby pin?" scoffed Tom, as Janna's eyes widened with the realization of what her friend was suggesting.

"Janna, I have only one question for you. Do you know Hank Innocent?"

Marco was feeling distinctly unwell as he swayed slightly in his chair inside the interrogation room. It had to be well past midnight by his estimation, the questioning having dragged on and on before repeating itself in its entirety several times. He was tired. Beyond the extreme fatigue he felt as a result of his dipping down, he was simply mentally and emotionally exhausted after such a long day. Now, he was sitting alone in the room, his hands secured to a metal table that was painted a very pleasing shade of metal-flake purple. The restraints were hardly necessary, as he would have lost an arm wrestling competition to a five-year-old at this point. I hope Star is alright… he thought, worried about what his girlfriend might be planning to get them out of what he felt was clearly a case of self-defense.

The door clicked open, and in strode the same officer who'd been questioning him for the last three hours. He sat down opposite Marco, looking down and fiddling with something on his wrist until an image of Narus in a gray jumpsuit appeared to hang in the air between them. "Narus 'Pretty Boy' Klinkston, a mid-level associate of the Galafamor Assassin's Guild. The authorities there just got us the requested information. Looks like you weren't lying about the identity of the decedent."

"And the rest of my story?" Marco was trying hard to keep the frustration out of his voice as he pressed for more details. "Did you talk to any of the people there? Or did they have footage of what happened? Does that place even have cameras? You know, a recording?" he clarified when the officer cocked his head in confusion at the unfamiliar term.

"Ah, yes. I've had several of my underlings interview witnesses who were on the scene as well as review images of what happened earlier tonight. It seems your story that Narus and his accomplice attacked Princess Butterfly to force you into a confrontation checks out. As such, Neonian Public Safety will not be pursuing charges in relation to his death."

Marco let out a shuddering breath of relief. The most trouble he'd ever been in before tonight had always been when he was caught up in Star's shenanigans on Earth. And despite his surety that he'd been forced into killing Narus to protect himself and his friends, he didn't exactly have ironclad faith in the Neonian justice system to agree with him. "Soooo, that's it then? My friends and I are free to leave?" he asked, folding out his hands and giving the officer what he hoped was a disarming smile.

"Not quite."

"What."

Marco blinked as the officer gave him a sad smile. "I apologize if you misunderstood me earlier concerning our office's follow-up on your involvement in Narus's death. That was only the minor charge of your group's offenses tonight. Narus's death, while regrettable, pales in comparison to the heinous crime of which still you stand accused." The image between them died as the officer leaned forward. "Neonia exists for one reason and one reason alone: to entertain. Our entire IDENTITY–" Marco flinched, leaning back in his chair as the officer slapped the table for emphasis as he continued, "It revolves around providing an unparalleled entertainment experience for the entire multiverse. What you did tonight… Well, that ripped at the very fabric of our society. And I can't abide that."

"Uhhh," stammered Marco, ice-cold dread crawling up his spine.

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz, you are under arrest for the mass disruption of public frivolity in the first degree, conspiracy to suppress enjoyment in the first degree, and reckless endangerment of patrons of Neonia in the first degree. You will be remanded to Starpit Prison until your arraignment hearing."

"What, that's ridiculous. I told you those two attacked us. I mean your own investigation proved my story!" Marco tried to stand up, but his muscles gave a feeble effort, only lifting him halfway out of his seat before giving out and making him crash flat on his face across the metal table. He heard the officer whistle before another set of hands unlocked him from the table and dragged him to his feet.

"Take him to the transfer cell by the loading dock. The party bus is already on its way, so he'll have to skip the reunion with his friends until after the arraignment."

"Wait! You can't do this–mmph" began Marco, before a heavy fabric hood was pulled over his head and he felt himself being pushed forward.

"Well, that was a huge waste of time…" grumbled Janna, blowing out a frustrated breath as she flopped back onto the bench in the cell.

"Still no luck?" said Star, frowning at the mangled remnants of the bobby pin in Janna's hand.

"The lock's too heavy duty, I can't turn it…" Janna said, throwing the remnants of the pin on the floor and scowling. "I'm used to light stuff like Marco's locker, or the closet door in Tom's room where he keeps his diary and all those romance manga he's worried other people will see."

"So thaaat's what he keeps in there." Star couldn't help but giggle despite the situation as across from her, Tom let out a weary sigh.

"Oh relax, babe, it's a good collection." Janna rubbed her chin for a second as she thought about their predicament. "What we need," she began as she borrowed Star's arm for a second and pointed to the flat band around her wrist, "is to find a way to get this off. Then you just go butterfly monster, tear the door off the hinges, grab the rest of your stuff, and we go. Easy as confusing Oskar into giving me an extra taco at Britta's."

"By stuff, you mean Marco, right? I just want to clarify that you've commodified Star and I's best friend, as well as her boyfriend…"

"Relax, he was her's long before your and Marco's bromance ever started."

Star was no longer listening as Tom fired back a hot retort. Gears were turning as she tried to run her finger under the thin band and examine it. It would never slip off her wrist, having only about a hair's width of slack. Well there goes any chance to slide or roll it off, she thought, if only I had a way to cut it off…

"Star, did you say something?" asked Tom, holding up a hand, "you've been muttering to yourself for like thirty seconds."

She looked up, grinning as inspiration hit like a kick from a warnicorn. "Tom, budddaaaayyyy. I'm gonna need you to hold out your arm so we can chop off your hand."

"I'm sorry what?"

"I'm gonna cut your hand off so that we can get that stupid wristband off of you. After that you can melt the lock, we grab Marco, and get the heck outta here."

"Just close your eyes and hold out your arm. Janna, grab his hand," instructed Star, getting up and standing between her two friends.

"Awesome…" Janna's words were a hushed whisper as she raced to get into position. Grabbing a still confused-looking Tom by the hand, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Best date yet," she winked, before stepping back and dragging out his arm.

"Ready?" Star waited for him to nod and close his eyes. Raising her arm high over her head she tensed, gathering every ounce of her not insubstantial strength. "I'm gonna go on three. One, twooo, THREE!" she shouted, bringing her arm down in a violent chop, the knife edge of her hand slamming into the side of Tom's wrist with an audible crack of breaking bone.

"Shitshitshitshit, fucking SHIT that hurts!" shouted Tom, pulling his hand back and cradling his broken wrist. "Did you just try to karate chop my fucking hand off? Why on Mewni would you ever think that would work?"

"Huh, it worked a year ago when Marco did it…" said Star, disappointment evident in her voice as she examed her hand.

"Uh, no it didn't. Marco may be a badass, but no human is going to karate chop my hand off. I'd gotten that hand cut off earlier in the day helping Grandpa Relicor with his library security system. I'd barely had it reattached for an hour before I came to ask you to the Blood Moon Ball that day." Tom scowled as he felt the bones in his wrist beginning to knit themselves back together.

"Crappppp," Star squeezed her eyes shut, grinding the heels of her hands into them. "We gotta get out of here soon; Marco's ceremony is tomorrow and if we miss it I'm pretty sure my mom will kill me. Pegasus feathers, she just told me how proud of me she was." Tipping her head back, she felt her stomach drop with yet another unwelcome revelation: Marco's parents were coming tomorrow as well. If Angie found out they missed the ceremony because they were in jail, she was pretty sure they'd spend the next six months on Earth when she yanked him back to Echo Creek. No, the only way to salvage this is to get out ahead of it and that meant escaping this stupid dimension, she thought as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"You know if you needed a hand cut off, you should have just told me," Janna cut in, holding up her hands and pointing to her bare wrist. "See? No wristband," she added when both of them gave her a blank look.

"That's right! No magic on Earth, duh!" said Star, smacking her forehead at how she didn't think about that.

"Firesword?" asked Tom, arching a knowing eyebrow.

"Firesword." Janna nodded back.

"Guess it was a little more than 'Neat' wasn't it?"

"Not the time, Tom…" Janna rolled her eyes as she splayed her fingers apart and concentrated hard on the spell she was about to use. "Mauris ornare doleron, ferrum ignis!" The words of power made her tongue tingle as the tips of her fingers ignited in crimson flame. Flicking her wrist in a lazy circle, the smirked in satisfaction as a flaming ring appeared, the familiar pentagram burning its way into existence inside its confines. Repeating what she'd practiced probably a hundred times, she plunged her hand inside, still mildly surprised when her fingers closed on the hilt of a sword.

"Ta-Da!" Janna pulled her hand from the fiery portal with a flourish, holding the blade aloft.

"JANNABANANA!" Star was practically squealing with delight at the prospect of another of her friends having access to magic.

"Star, focus."

"Sorry…" blushed Star as she switched positions with her friend.

"Alright, so we'll go on three again just like last time," said Tom, holding out his hand for Star to take. He waited as Janna lowered the sword to his wrist, taking a couple of practice swings before she nodded to him. "This is gonna suuuuck," he muttered, closing his eyes and bracing for the pain.

"Okay, here we go! One–" Janna swung the sword down as hard as she could, feeling her skin crawl as the blade scythed easily through Tom's wrist.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THREE?!" Tom roared, cradling his arm as wispy skulls rose from the blackened stump there.

"Band-Aid's easier to tear off in one fell swoop, I figured catching you off guard would make getting your hand cut off a little more tolerable," shrugged Janna. Leaning forward, she plucked the slightly singed wristband off his stump and tossed it on the ground. "Get to lock melting, Horns, I think they noticed something's up," she directed before turning to Star. "I'd offer to cut yours off, but I'm pretty sure I'd roast half your arm if I tried."

"Thanks, bu–Eugh," Star stuck out her tongue in disgust as she watched Tom stoop to reattach his severed hand with a wet-sounding squish. Balling up her fists she dropped into a fighting stance she'd learned last week from Marco. "Besides," she said over the sharp hiss of flame as Tom began to melt the lock, "I was kicking butt long before I got the wand, so I think I'll be okay with just these."

"I hate to interrupt, but do either of you have an actual plan once I get this door open?" Tom gritted his teeth, pouring on the fire and urging it to burn hotter. Guards were shouting in the hallway, likely calling for backup as the harsh glare of flame and groaning metal told them something had gone seriously wrong with their detention efforts.

"Simple," Star held her hand up, counting off, "first, we get my wand, then Marco's scissors, and finally, we bust Marco outta here. Then it's back to Mewni for the ceremony. Easy peasy taco breezy."

"I mean–Oh fuck it," shouted Tom stepping back and giving the burnt and melted lock a solid kick. It sprang open with a resounding clang just as the door opened to their cells and three officers ran in brandishing their stun weapons. With a demonic growl, he waved his arm, a roaring wall of fire bursting into existence to block them from advancing toward them.

"Tom, the other door!" shouted Star, pointing to a side door. He seemed to understand, holding out his other arm and launching a fireball that blew the door into splinters. She pressed forward, waving for her friends to follow as she slipped through the still-smoking doorway. A streak of yellow and Star had to duck as an officer came at her from around the corner, swinging a glittering nightstick at her head.

Jumping back, she threw up an arm in a high block to catch the man's swing as he went to bring the stick down for another blow. "I DID IT, I DID IT! I TANG SOO DO'D!" she shouted in triumph, meeting the very confused guard's eyes before she fired off a punch with every ounce of her strength into his stomach. The guard doubled over with an audible gasp of pain, too busy trying to re-inflate his diaphragm to block her knee as it streaked into the top of his head to lay him out cold.

Shouts behind her made her turn back to where she saw Tom scurry through the destroyed door, summoning a wall of flames to seal the way he'd just come. "That should hold them off for a few, but the flames don't last so we need to find Marco soon," he shouted to her over the roaring din.

"Uh, Star? You didn't want me to stab this guy right?"

Janna's question caught Star so off guard, she stumbled against a desk in her haste to see what she was talking about. She was astounded to see Janna had an officer pinned up against the wall, her flaming sword leveled at his throat. She was sporting a split lip that was trickling crimson but looked otherwise unharmed. "Um, no–no stabbing will be necessary," she said, stopping next to her friend.

"He caught me off guard, but…" Janna smirked, "I'm not the only one who's learned a thing or two from their boyfriend."

"Alright, Mr. Officer, I know you're just doing your job, but we all have a very important ceremony to go to tomorrow, so we can't waste time while I have my parents sort out this dimension's seriously unfair laws. So you're going to tell me where I can find my wand and the dimensional scissors you took off Marco. Also, where the hell are you keeping him?"

"Why would I ever tell you literally any of that?" said the guard, his voice smug as he sized her up and down, "I have ten more officers on their way in here now; you won't escape."

"Because if you don't tell my girl here what she wants to know, I will have my boyfriend back there," Janna hitched a thumb back over her shoulder, "literally devour your soul."

"You're bluffing…"

"She's not."

The guard paled at the harsh demonic voice that had spoken as behind the girl holding the sword, the other teen had turned his way and was now staring at him with three eyes glowing with hellish red light. "D-D-Down the hall, straight through the double doors, take a right. Evidence room is at the end," he managed to stammer, not even noticing the warm wetness running down his leg.

"And Marco?" Star cut in. She was becoming increasingly worried by the shouting she could still hear getting closer as the officers undoubtedly tried to go around the fire.

"In the holding cell awaiting transfer to Starpit Prison." The guard sniffed, pulling a sour face as he realized he'd soiled himself. "It's the room–the room, uh, next to the evidence locker by the loading dock."

"Thanks, and…sorry about this." Star fired off a punch, bouncing the officer's head off the wall behind him to leave him slumped on the floor. Leaving the unconscious guard, Star sprinted towards the door at the end of the room that led to what she hoped was the hallway the guard had mentioned. She leapt at the last second, hitting the door with her boot to burst it open with a sound like a gunshot.

It was pandemonium.

The hurtling door slammed into an officer, knocking him to the ground just as Star sprinted into the room. Two others fired their stun weapons, missing wide as she poured on the speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tom throw several fireballs that burst at the feet of two additional officers sprinting at them from farther up the hallway. The hungry orange flames splashed over their shoes and pants, causing them to panic and slap at their now-burning clothes.

"Oof,"Star grunted when one of the guards threw himself at her, wrapping her around the midsection and driving her back into the wall. She'd let herself get distracted making sure Tom and Janna weren't in trouble, and now she was in a bit of a situation. She didn't panic, however, having routinely tangled with Ludo's monsters, all of whom were significantly larger than she was. Pulling her legs up, she braced against the wall before pushing off hard, driving the guard who was still trying to wrestle her to the ground directly into his compatriot who was attempting to reload his stun weapon.

The three of them fell in a tangled heap, Star instantly twisting away from the temporarily stunned officer. Springing to her feet, she focused on her balance as she whipped her body around in a tight spin, her booted foot hurtling into the face of the second officer as he brought up his stun weapon. "Sorry!" she shouted, even as she leapt over his unmoving form to drive her fist into the face of the one who had tackled her.

"Janna watch out!" she shouted, spotting a fifth guard making a beeline straight for her friend, who had just disarmed her own foe. He held his transparent club high, ready to bring it crashing down into her back. Star cringed when Janna brought her flaming sword around far too slow to block the man as he brought his transparent club down in a crushing blow.

*FWOOSH*

Flames surged as Tom shot in to defend her, and Star was amazed to see just how fast he could move. Her ex crossed the distance like a charging warnicorn, slamming into the man who was tunnel visioning on Janna and knocking him into the wall. The officer staggered, catching himself on a door frame and throwing himself back at Tom. Another blinding flash of crimson flame flared, the brightness making Star shield her eyes as a yelp of pain sounded. When the spots cleared, the three of them were alone in the hallway surrounded by unconscious foes and she had to stifle a laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. The last officer, the one she'd seen trying to attack Tom, was laid flat out on his back, his face lobster red and every single strand of hair burned off.

"Okay, now that is funny," chuckled Janna.

"Star? Hello? Is that you out there?" The voice was muffled, sounding like it was coming through a thick door, but there was no doubt in Star's mind that it belonged to Marco.

"Hold on, Marco, we're coming!" Star was off and running toward the direction of his voice before she'd even finished her sentence, slamming through a pair of double doors. A sign on the opposite wall listed several destinations, but she only had eyes for the garish orange letters that spelled, "Evidence/Loading Dock" and the arrow that pointed to her right.

"Watch ou–"

Tom's strangled warning had barely registered in Star's mind when they were hit with a wave of energy that knocked the three of them off their feet. They tumbled down the hall and she had to stifle a cry of pain as heat flashed over her skin, making it feel like she'd jumped into boiling water. "I thought I warned you three earlier that disorder will not be tolerated…" It was the officer from the club again, aiming a weapon directly at her.

Fighting up to one knee, Star gritted her teeth as she stared down their attacker. "I already told you that we were just defending ourselves from those creeps. As a police officer, aren't you supposed to care about justice?" Her answer was another blast from the weapon, sending them skidding into the wall at the end of the hall. "Again, you misunderstand. Princess, you and your friends have flouted our laws and injured numerous peacekeepers in the process. I was going to recommend that the judge let you three off with just a fine as you were merely an accessory, but now…"

Another shot and Star couldn't stifle her cry of pain this time as the force threw her back into the wall again. Tom was groaning next to her and rubbing his head, while Janna seemed to have lost consciousness, the fire sword nowhere to be seen. Alright, Star, it's now or never, she thought, steeling her determination. Time to pull out some sweet magic moves like Mom and kick this guy's ass. Sure you don't have your wand and this stupid bracelet shocks you every time you try to transform, but when has failure ever stopped you?

The bracelet was already beginning to cause pain, triggered as her anger caused the magic inside of her to flare. Raising her hand, she squinted at the officer who was sneering at her. "Narwhal…" she grunted, focusing her will and the magic she felt inside to the end of her arm, "…Blast!"

Nothing happened. Well, nothing happened if she discounted the painful electric shock that ran up her arm to her neck. "You're looking at twenty years in prison for your little stunt in here tonight. Your boyfriend's going to be in even longer with how many counts he's got against him." The Officer had holstered his weapon, dropping a pair of restraints to dangle by one cuff as he approached her.

Star was breathing hard as she struggled to ignore the pain radiating from her wrist. Focus, Star, she reminded herself, tensing to–The hair on the back of her arms stood straight up. "Wha–" she started, the words dying on her lips as a deep crimson light flooded the room from every direction.

"What is this? I told you no tricks or the bracelet will incapacitate you." An edge of panic had entered the officer's voice as he looked up at the ominous light that was suffusing the entire room. He froze, his eyes finally landing back on the Princess, who was suddenly looking much different. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because she's about to kick your ass," chuckled Tom from the floor where he'd finally cleared his head.

Star switched arms, aiming her palm and focusing on the built-up magic in her like before. Pain ached up and into her shoulder, yet it only felt dull and throbbing. Like when she'd stub her toe on the debris she'd left on the floor of her room all the time, not the searing electric ache of earlier. Pink magic seeped from her palm and fingers encasing her hand in glowing energy as the wristband began to smoke and sizzle.

She could do it, she could feel the spell fighting her will to hold it back.

"Narwhal Blast!" she roared, the baby blue cetacean erupting out of pure magic to slam into the officer as he frantically tried to dodge. Its glittered horn slid under the man's arm, bucking upward and launching him into the air with an explosion of destroyed ceiling tiles even as he flew down the hallway. Star was staring wide-eyed at her hand, too distracted to even notice him as he crashed to the floor in a pile of debris. The place where the band had been was just a black circle of ash on her wrist. Apparently, whatever device they'd used on her had been no match for her magic.

Despite months and months of practicing, she'd never once been able to cast a spell without her wand while she was just in her normal mewman form. Not that it was an impossible feat in the history of the Butterfly family, heck, her mom used wandless magic every day. Glossaryck had reminded her just last week that wandless magic was a simple matter of control and focus, both things the wand helped with. "Thank you, Blood Moon," she whispered to herself before a groan from Janna broke her reverie.

"I got her, go get Marco," urged Tom, who was already helping her to sit up.

Star didn't need any more encouragement. Another flying boot, and she broke into the loading dock, spotting the small barred cell containing Marco immediately. "Hold on babe!" she shouted, not noticing she'd already flashed into her six-armed butterfly form on the run over to him. Gripping the bars with all six hands, she gritted her teeth and yanked hard, straining to tear the door open. The frame let out a deep reverberating groan as whatever it was made out of began to bend and deform.

"Come on, you stupid… Stubborn… DOOR!" With a loud shriek of rending metal, the hinge of the door tore free, followed in short order by the rest of it as she wrenched with all her might. It clattered to the floor with an ear-punishing clatter, but Star didn't care. Swooping in she knelt in front of a slightly awe-struck Marco. Holding up a hand to his cheek, she gave him her best smile when he grinned at her.

"That will never stop being impressive," he chuckled. Looking down between the two of them, he motioned to the restraints that were binding his hands together even as they threatened to topple him forward into her arms.

"Aww, look at you being a sweet little cinnamon roll even while we break outta this place," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips before reaching down and taking the restraint into her hands. This time the material failed with far less effort, and Star spent the next several moments carefully peeling the metal away from Marco's hands so she didn't accidentally cut him.

"I know this might not be the best time to bring it up," he said as Star helped him to his feet and put her shoulder under his arm, "but did you just cast a narwhal blast in the hallway without your wand?"

"Not too shabby, if I do say so myself." She winked at him, steering them back out into the hall where Tom and Janna were waiting for them, both looking particularly smug.

"Got your wand back." Janna handed over the pink and purple wand, still encased in a plastic bag labeled, "Evidence". "Also, here's your phones back."

Star felt her stomach bounce off the tops of her feet when she saw the time on her compact: 7:30 A.M. And below that, her stomach began to dig its way into the ground under her, twenty missed calls from her mom. "Ohhhh, that's gonna be bad…"

"Yeahhh, we handled it. Had to take out a couple more of those jerks." Tom was oblivious as he hitched a thumb back over his shoulder towards the other room. "But they weren't a problem for Janna and me."

Reading the shell-shocked expression on her friend's face, Janna rolled her eyes. "Okay there was one guard, and he was like sixty. The guy took one look at Horns here and handed over what we asked for. Speaking of… Marco? You don't mind if I hold onto this until you can stand on your own do you?" She twirled the dimensional scissors on a finger.

"You can borrow them for the day, but I want them back after the ceremony. Whiiiiich I'm now realizing is in less than 3 hours and I can't even walk, shit." Marco struggled to push down the rising tide of dread in his stomach as he met Star's concerned eyes. She flashed her compact at him and he heard himself audibly gulp at the many missed calls from Moon there. "Oh, we're fucking dead…"

"Amateurs," chuckled Janna, and all three other teens stared at her. She looked at them as if expecting them to catch on to the joke, before frowning when they continued to give her blank looks. "Star, don't you do stuff without telling your parents all the time? This is so easy to explain."

"Uhhh," giggled Star nervously, "to be honest? Most of my sneaking around just comes from the fact that my mom and dad are super busy running the kingdom and don't have time to check up on me. "Royal babysitters, guards, tutors, sword coaches…" She ticked off the names on her fingers.

"Most royal kids are the same." Tom shrugged and held up his hands. "I probably see my parents maybe an hour a day if we don't have an official function."

"So royal latchkey kids, got it," laughed Janna. "Alright, since neither of you two seem to get it, and until very recently Marco could star in a video on how to be a responsible teen; I'll explain. When you two get back to the castle, just tell Queen Moon you ditched the club and came to Earth to hang out with us. It got late and you decided to crash there and just forgot to check your compact."

"I–" began Marco, holding up an objecting finger before pausing, "can't actually say that's a bad plan."

"Pegasus feathers you're a genius!" Star beamed as she rushed forward, Macro and all, to pull Janna into a very awkward three-way hug. "I mean the most Mom would do to us is probably give another lecture–Not that we haven't had enough of those, right Marco?" Star elbowed him in the ribs, a move that earned her a weary sigh from him. "And I know what you're gonna say. You're gonna say, 'But Star, we just kicked a whole bunch of butt and busted out of prison in this dimension that is not nearly as cool as it used to be, won't they call your mom and tell them everything?"

"Uh, yeah that's kind of a bi–"

"Dear sweet, lovable, ignorant Marco…"

"That's a little rude." He frowned as she shook her head at him, her voice almost pitying. "These bozos here just tried to put the heirs to the two most powerful kingdoms on Mewni in jail. I would bet my wand on them never mentioning tonight again to anyone. My mom would probably level the building if she found out what they tried to do to us."

"And have you seen my mom?" added Tom, "20-foot-tall demoness, remember?"

"I saw Wrathmelior tear the top off a keg with her bare hands at a picnic the other week. They'd have to be even stupider than they looked to try anything with her on the warpath." Janna smirked as she shared a grin with her boyfriend. While King Dave still treated her like a piece of used chewing gum whenever they had to interact, Wrathmelior had been coming around. She'd even invited Janna to her next Queensday brunch; an event she was dreading due to the froofy dress she'd need to wear, but one she was willing to endure for Tom's sake.

"You know what?" Marco blew out a weary sigh as he felt Star give him an encouraging squeeze. "It's been a longggg day and it's barely even started. So? Fuck it."

"Mama Star's got us covered, babe, trust me," reassured Star, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"And leave the fatigue to me," added Tom, "I know a nice ritual that's gonna fix you right up, buddy."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Forty-five minutes later, Star was feeling significantly less confident as she peaked around the column to watch her mother directing the castle servants and organizing a search party of knights. "When my daughter turns up, inform me immediately," she heard her mother instruct Manfred before turning back to a concerned-looking Lady Whosits.

The four of them had used Marco's scissors to portal directly to his room where she had reluctantly left him in the hands of Janna and Tom. He'd assured her that it was a simple process, but it had been Marco that had finally sold her on the plan. "Go deal with your mom, I'll be fine!" he'd reassured her, and that had been enough. After sneaking back to her room to change out of her club clothes and into something more casual, she made her way downstairs, dreading the inevitable confrontation with her parents. Now, she was crouched half-hidden behind a stone pillar as she watched her mother do her thing.

"Your Majesty, I've finished securing the dungeons and provided Sir Lavabo with his instructions regarding any intruders to the lower reaches of the castle. He and his squad report that they're ready and he's already ordered the number of patrols to be doubled in the dungeon." Lady Whosits continued to make her report to her mother, but Star didn't hear as a pair of heavy footfalls behind her made her whip around.

"Star? There you are!"

She froze at the familiar voice of her father, though this time his voice was laden with disappointment. "Hiiiii Daddy." She gave him her most innocent smile, feeling a wave of anxiety as his frown deepened.

"Late night with Marco…"

River's voice was dangerously low, and Star knew that look. That look led to things like the last knockdown drag-out melee between her father and Marco. Was that an eye twitch? She unconsciously swallowed as her body entered self-preservation mode. "N-No," she lied before catching herself at the piercing look her father was giving her. "Well yes, um actually–butnotlikethat!" she blurted out when she spotted the Johansen rage sparking up from smoldering hearth into a raging inferno.

"You have until your mother over there finishes up with Lady Whosits to explain to me why we shouldn't ground the two of you until next year?" River's voice was ice as Star looked over her shoulder to see her mother glaring at her. "If he is acting in a manner that is anything less than that of a true gentleman, we're going to be having a very serious talk, him and I…"

"Nonononono, it's nothing like that. Marco has been amazing and hasn't done anything that's made me uncomfortable or that I didn't ask him to do," she explained, waving her hands frantically. River looked like he wanted to comment on that last part of her sentence, but instead remained silent, his suspicious glare entreating her to explain further. "Okay, so we went to Neonia to go sing karaoke with Janna and Tom. Those two crazy assassins I told you and Mom about showed up to try and kill Marco and he totally wasted one of them. After that, we just went back to Janna's place on Earth and spent the night. I'm sorry I didn't check my compact. It's just–" Star paused as she braced herself. She hated lying to her dad about the complete circumstances of their night, but she wanted to investigate Higgs's connection to this with Marco by herself. "Things got crazy on Neonia and we all just kinda crashed once we got back to Janna's.

It was like a switch had been flipped. Gone was all of the suspicion and disappointment on her father's face. Instead, River lit up as if someone had just told him there would be a surprise piggoat course at dinner that night. "Pumpkin…" his voice fairly trembled with glee, "Marco, our Marco, fought off an assassin?! In one-on-one combat? Tell me everything!"

"Oh Dad, you should have seen it! Marco dipped down and everything!" Star couldn't put her relief into words as she excitedly seized the opportunity to steer her father's attention away from dangerous territory and towards something she knew would completely captivate him. "Those jerks got the drop on us and one of them held me hostage while the other challenged him." She dropped down into a fighting stance and threw a couple of kicks as she mimed some of the moves she saw, walking her father through the fight play-by-play.

"So he defeated them bare-handed?" River's eyes were shining as he listened to his daughter.

"Psh–no way," scoffed Star, " I mean he could have if that jerk Narus didn't get frustrated and pull out a couple of swords after he got kicked in the face like five times."

"Dastardly assassins, always using two blades…" grumbled River as he scratched his chin in consternation. "You know the M.H.C. and I are not on the best of terms, but I must admit…Hekapoo does do some outstanding work: Marco's scissors are truly a work of art."

"Grouchy though, amirite?" Star took a risk as she gave her father a conspiratorial grin along with a nudging elbow to the ribs.

"That woman is a constant thorn in my britches. Your Mother would do well to spend a lot less time with those dodgy Commission busybodies. Anyway…" River shook his head like a great bear warding off annoying insects, "tell me how the boy fared!" Star felt her glimmer of hope widen into a glorious sunbeam as he pressed her for details of Marco's sword fight with Narus, becoming thoroughly overexcited when she described the move he'd used to end the fight.

When she'd finished, her father unexpectedly pulled her in for a crushing hug. "I'm so proud of you two," he said, pulling back with his hands still on her shoulders. She was surprised to see happy tears in his eyes. "I already knew Marco was proving himself to be a worthy suitor to you, but this only makes me more confident in your mother's and my decision to have you stay with the Diazs."

Star was struggling not to tear up herself as her father smiled and continued, "You're a lot more like me than your mother when it comes to all this boring ceremony and drudgery, Sweetie. After all, you're half-Johansen! And our blood yearns for adventure and battle, not listening to crop yield estimates or tax revenue projections. But I'm proud of you for putting in so much work with Marco's ceremony."

"Dadddd…" said Star, squirming in embarrassment. It was rare for him to be so serious with her. Then again, this is a lot better than another couple of weeks being grounded, she thought, deciding that a few minutes of embarrassment from her father was a much preferable alternative.

"You two make an excellent team, and I know he appreciates all the help you've given him this week." Her father's words caught her off guard, and the embarrassment of only a moment before faded out as warm thoughts flooded into her. "You're going to make a wonderful queen someday, Pumpkin, and Marco…"

Star blushed at the twinkle in her father's eye; she knew what he'd left unsaid. "Thanks, Dad," she said, returning her fathers's infectious grin.

"Now, go get ready, we have a long day ahead of us before we feast toni–Don't worry, I'll handle your mother," he pressed when saw her she glance back to where Moon was currently striding over to them, her face a grim tide.

Pulling her father in for one final bone-crushing hug, Star scurried off towards where an army of servants would be waiting to inflict hours-long torture of getting her ready for the ceremony. She momentarily slowed when her mother's stern call of, "Star, hold on, I need to speak to you," before her father's "It's alright, Moonpie, I'll explain everything." spurred her hasty exit from the throne room.

Several floors above, Marco was feeling increasingly anxious as he laid in silence on a partially complete rune that Janna and Tom had spent the last twenty minutes drawing. At least I used the time productively… he thought, having spent the intervening time calling to remind his parents about Manfred coming to pick them up in the royal carriage later this morning. It had been a bit of an awkward call for him, as he'd had to reassure his mother several times that he was feeling fine, just tired. It had also been a call made doubly embarrassing as Janna and Tom snickered at him for several minutes after he'd told his mom he loved her before hanging up.

"Are you sure this is safe for humans?" Marco could feel his chest tighten as he watched Janna and Tom share a look over his prone form.

"It works on Mewmans and Demons just fine. You and Star look more or less the same except for the whole…" Tom fluttered his hands at his sides, "wings, thing. Look, dude, it's simple. Janna and I complete the rune, you lay there and don't move, and then I send a very tiny, verrry controlled bit of magic into you to give you a little shot of energy."

"So basically a demonic energy drink? Yeah, that sounds more than a little sketchy."

"Well, the alternative is you need to get wheeled out to see Star and Queen Moon and we all answer a bucket load of awkward questions about last night. Your mom freaks out again and this time, Moon isn't able to talk her out of dragging your limp butt back to Earth." Janna looked incredulous as she continued to lecture him, "Not to mention, I still need to go get changed into that fancy dress she zapped up for me, so can we get this show on the road already?"

"Excellent point, Janna, let's get this over with."

"Knew you'd see it my way, Diaz."

"Soooo," began Marco after several more minutes of tense silence, "what's the next ste–OW!" A sharp pain on the back of his hand made him cry out.

"Sorry, just needed a little bit of blood," apologized Tom, holding up a small knife whose tip was shining crimson.

"Why does every single demonic ritual of yours always involve someone's blood?"

"Answer's in the name, bro." Tom said distractedly as Marco watched him lean out of sight, and heard the scraping sound of stone against metal as his friend applied his blood to the ritual circle.

"Ready! Psh, and you thought I wasn't paying attention…" Marco didn't like the hungry look on Janna's face as she leaned over him and smirked at Tom, who was too busy rolling back the sleeves of his dress shirt to notice.

"Now lay perfectly still," instructed Tom, shaking out his hands and placing them on the ten small smears of blood along the edge of the chalk rune.

"Umm, not that I'm planning on moving, but maybe just for my own peace of mind let me know what would happen if I did? Star has a very persistent habit of kicking in doors rather than knocking, so I'm just thinking worst-case here." Marco turned his head to look at his bedroom door that was now securely locked, something that had rarely proven an obstacle to his excitable girlfriend in the past. She'd told him before they'd parted ways she'd be too busy stuck to her mom's side to come to see him before the ceremony. But with her, anything was possible.

"Ehh, nothing too serious. If the magic going into you doesn't stay even you might end up with a numb arm for a week."

"A WEEK?!"

"Hey, I know a ritual that if I mess up the person literally explodes, so get off my back, jeez dude…"

"Sorry." Marco fell silent once more, only nodding when Tom told him he was going to start the flow of magic.

It began as a faint tingle on his body everywhere that was in contact with the ground. Warmth and relief for sore muscles from his fight with Narus followed, rolling over his body in a soft, undulating wave from head to toe. Marco was just starting to enjoy the feeling when he felt an upward tug and began floating off the floor just as a soft glow lit the corners of his room in angry scarlet.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…" whispered Tom, more to himself than anyone in the room.

"Shit? What is shit? Tom, is the floating and the light part of this? Because you didn't say the floating and light was part of this." The warmth inside of him was beginning to make him sweat. Abruptly the light faded, and Marco dropped to the floor with a grunt and a rather unceremonious thud. His heart was thudding in his chest as his muscles seemed to tremble.

"Uhhhh, slight complication?"

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"And would the princess prefer the fire bush beetle rouge or the ember glass rouge?"

Star fought to not roll her eyes as she looked at the nearly identical shades of pink in the two makeup containers her mother's Royal Stylist, Elizabeth, was holding. "Uh, I guess the one on the right?" she said, pointing to the shade that might have been a tiny amount more pink than its compatriot. "Lizzy, you know I can do my own makeup right? Y'know, with magic?" Star held up her wand, waggling it back and forth as the woman scowled at her, makeup brush poised like a weapon. She loved using the nickname she'd given the woman when she was 8. Mostly because of how much it annoyed her, but there may have been a slight amount of nostalgic affection from her days as a kid.

"Need I remind the Princess, that Her Majesty the Queen also possesses the ability to 'do her own makeup' and yet, understands there may be other members of the kingdom that possess a better perspective than she in certain areas." Lizzy's voice was deadpan as she deftly moved the makeup brush around Star's cheeks, accenting the pink hearts there expertly.

"Fineeeee," huffed Star, surrendering to the inevitable. She'd made great strides in the last 3-4 years in carving out independence from the strict regime of being a royal, the greatest victory of which was the ability to set her own wardrobe outside of official royal functions. This normally included makeup, but despite all of her best efforts, Moon had resolutely refused to budge on allowing Star the ability to do her own makeup for official functions.

*Bzzt*

Oh thank Mewni… she thought, stepping away from an admonishing Lizzy who reminded her with a tut, that, "they had less than five minutes before Star was supposed to meet with her parents." Pulling her compact out, she flipped open the top to see a message from Janna in the shared chat the four of them were in.

Jannabananas: Slight issue with the ritual Tom said he "knew like the back of his hand…"

PrinceofSnarkness: In my defense, I never said I knew the ritual like the back of my hand.

Jannabananas: Tom, you LITERALLY SAID, "It's simple"...

PrinceofSnarkness: It IS simple, I just didn't take into account that Marco is a human, not a mewman.

Jannabananas: Is that why you were saying "shit shit shit" to yourself? Because it was sooo simple?

PrinceofSnarkness: It was my first time doing it on my own! I've helped my grandpa Relicore do it like ten times and it's as simple as I explained!

"Princess, please…we have precious little time, you are expected–" Star ignored her as her fingers flew over the keyboard of her compact, What do you mean 'Slight Issue' Tom? You know how important today is! What happened?!

Tom was typing something, and she felt her heart quicken as the three dots stopped and disappeared several times after being started. But before the message had arrived, her compact slammed shut as a blue glow formed around it. It floated off her hand and over to where her mother was frowning at her from the doorway to the Royal Salon. "Ceremony first, text later," she said, motioning for her to sit back in the chair next to a smug-looking Lizzy.

Thirty minutes later, Star was feeling distinctly uneasy as she stepped into the royal carriage that would take them on the procession to Butterfly Hall. The honor guard was already at the front of the procession: 30 knights on armored warnicorns, each festooned with the colors and coat of arms of the Butterfly Royal Family. Most of the other guests were already awaiting them at the Hall. However, there were several other carriages following behind theirs, including the one carrying Marco's parents. She'd barely even had time to give them both a hug, being hurried along by her mother, who had also greeted the pair in her usual restrained manner.

"We'll see you after the ceremony, dear," Angie had reassured her, making sure to return the powerful hug of the girl she considered a surrogate daughter.

Now stuck in the carriage as they trundled along streets crowded with waving mewmans, Star let out a relieved breath. "Cruddy weather…" she muttered, noting the low gray clouds hanging in the sky that were threatening rain even as the sun peeked through in small places. It was a throwaway comment, meant to simultaneously feel out the kind of mood her mother was in after her dad had spoken with her as well as distract herself from whatever potential disaster had befallen Marco. Personally, she was still counting her good fortune, as the fact that her mother had not immediately taken her aside after her appointment with Lizzy to give her an earful for her and Marco's disappearance last night seemed like a good sign. Still, her mother's mood was distinctly frosty as they sat in awkward silence while the procession kept rolling. Her father was practically beaming with excitement as he waved to various people out of the window, seemingly oblivious to the heavy tension.

"Moonpie, did you see how nervous the Diazes were? I was concerned Rafael was going to faint when I showed him the royal carriage. I think he's even more nervous than poor Marco is and all he has to do is sit and watch."

Star looked at her father's words to see him giving her mother an appraising eye. Maybe Dad isn't so oblivious after all, she decided, noting how her father's gentle nudge pulled her mother's mind away from her conspicuous absence last night, and onto a much safer topic.

"Yes, the poor man was so worked up I offered him a cup of still thistle tea for his nerves," answered Moon. Was that…a smile? Star could hardly believe her eyes as she saw her mother chuckle to herself before continuing. "Angie seems to be coping well with things, though I suspect her concerns are more focused on the security of the ceremony and the safety of her son than the splendor."

Rather than chime in and risk pulling her mother's attention back on the events of last night, Star elected to remain silent as the carriage rolled on and her parents discussed their mutual affection for Marco's parents. Apparently, Rafael had invited River to a Los Angeles Dodgers game, and while even she was pretty fuzzy on what exactly "baseball" was, her father had become noticeably more excited when she'd informed him that it involved wooden clubs swung at high speeds. Soon enough, however, they pulled to a stop in front of Butterfly Hall.

Guards dressed in ceremonial armor lined the short walk up to a building that still managed to impress Star, despite having seen it hundreds of times. Soaring white stone walls festooned with enormous stained glass windows towered over them. When she was younger she used to think the twinkling multicolored lights on the windows were fairies until her cousin Rock called her a "cob head" for believing in nonsense like that. Now she just figured that whatever queen had had it built, did it that way as an apology to everyone who was forced to sit through the dull royal ceremonies that happened inside.

"Are you ready, Star?"

Her mother's words pried her mind back to the present. "Yes," she said, startled at how tight her voice sounded. Her stomach was floating somewhere around her heart right now, and the pressure in her chest was certainly not all from the bodice of her dress.

Exiting the carriage after her parents, she waited for the other guests of honor to join the royal procession. She took a moment to wave at both Diazes, but both were so overawed with the pageantry that they didn't even notice. Star couldn't help but giggle when she saw Mr. Diaz excitedly point to a spot on the wall for Mrs. Diaz where four delicate stone arches were carved in beautiful relief. It was just what she needed to help break the unbearable tension inside. And when, at last, her mother gave the signal for the procession to begin; she felt inexplicably giddy.

Passing through the entrance into Butterfly Hall, Star heard the soft sound of music flowing over and around her. It was her favorite thing about Butterfly Hall. Designed and enchanted so that the music of the royal orchestra suffused every inch of the grand hall, she always felt the hair on the back of her arms stand up when she walked in. Star couldn't explain it, but it almost felt like she was swimming through the music as soon she walked through the threshold.

Ahead of her, rows and rows of seats were full of mewmans in their finery, important nobles denoted here and there by the small coronets they wore on their head. Notably absent, however, was the shock of pink hair and horns of Tom. Probably just getting Marco here in his carriage, she reassured herself with a lot more confidence than she thought she ought to have.

That's when she saw him. Sitting in the second row, his ice-blue eyes boring into her as she strode past: Duke Appleton. Star returned his cold stare, a fist balling when she noticed the sneer on his face. A departure from what Janna had nicknamed his "resting douche-face", she recognized that smile. It was the same smile he'd had on the night that an assassin had tried to kill Marco. Part of her wanted to Narwhal Blast him on the spot, but that would be counterproductive. Remember girl, first, we gather evidence to take him down; then, we Narwhal Blast his ass through a wall.

Pushing past her nemesis, Star followed her parents up to the dais where their thrones were seated. Turning to face the assembled crowd, she waited as the Diazes and the rest of the procession took their seats. Now comes the worst part… she grouched to herself as her mother began the lengthy and boring proceedings that always marked the opening of these events. It was the usual stuff she remembered: platitudes to the nobles for their continued stewardship of Mewni, the nods to respect and tradition, and finally to the importance of the Crown in recognizing and rewarding outstanding subjects.

"And that is why, for meritorious service to the people of Mewni, to the Royal Family, and most of all to my daughter, Princess Star; I formally introduce for elevation to the peerage, Marco Diaz."

At her mother's words, the thirty-foot tall ornate doors at the entrance to the great hall swung open to reveal Him. Star's heart leapt in her chest when she finally spotted him. He was dressed in a suit similar to that of the one he wore on the disastrous "Song Day" incident, except this time the tunic was a crimson red with deep black cuffs hung with gold embroidery. Above were the epaulets of before, though this time they pinned a thin cape of glossy black fur that was, to put it plainly, breathtaking. Capping off this outfit that had her threatening to float off the floor was a sash in the Butterfly Dynasty's colors adorned with his Order of Mewni 2nd Class.

"Star…" Her mother nudged her gently on the shoulder, prompting her to take an awkward step forward to the front of the dais. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized she was standing in front of several hundred very expectant people. But now, in the moment she saw him? At the moment she'd been thinking about for months? None of them mattered. She only had eyes for one of them. Meeting his gaze, she giggled into her hand when he waved to her. He looked adorably awkward, yet nevertheless, the gesture made heat rise in her cheeks as Mewni continued to spin on around just the two of them.

Something was off, though…

Marco kept rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Probably just nerves… she tried to reassure herself. After all, he hadn't exactly been tight-lipped about his anxiety over possibly screwing up during the ceremony so she wasn't surprised. That tactic worked for approximately three seconds before the music swelled with a flourish. It should have been the signal for him to begin his walk toward her. However, instead of the dignified march down the carpet, she saw Marco strike a familiar pose. Are those…finger guns? Star couldn't help but giggle again to herself when she saw the move, though when he broke into a casual trot toward the back of the crowd instead of forward she began to become a little concerned.

She watched, fascinated as he moved toward a figure that had just stood up on the edge of the seats. "Janna?" Star was so surprised to see her friend in the back of the auditorium, she'd said her name out loud. She must have snuck in just after her mom started speaking. Utterly fascinated with what her boyfriend was doing, she had to fight hard not to burst out laughing when she watched him give Janna a resounding high five. Another faint smacking sounded shortly after as he leaned past her to crash his palm into Tom's upturned hand.

Shocked gasps even Star could hear from her spot at the front of the hall rang out as nobles reacted to seeing someone seemingly strike a member of the Underworld Royal Family. That's when Janna and Tom either did some very quick thinking or had planned this in case anything went wrong. She watched as her two friends stood up and pointed to their upraised palms, mimicking the same high-five on each other and then pointing to Marco. "Traditional human celebration," she faintly heard Tom explain to the audience.

"Star…" Her mother's voice had a warning tone to it as behind, her father chortled with laughter.

Turning to meet her mother's confused frown, Star gave her best smile as her brain worked overtime to spin up a reasonable explanation. "Since Marco's been so amazing and patient learning all of our traditions here on Mewni, I thought it would be nice to incorporate a tradition from Earth. We thought it would be a nice surprise." Hope flared in her as she watched the frown on her mother's face fade into a thoughtful smile.

"That is an excellent idea. As Marco will be the first ever non-mewman to join the court, sharing some of his Earth traditions will help him feel more at home. I'm proud of you Star, excellent job."

"Thanks, Mom."

Star beamed as together they watched several younger nobles hold up their own palms for Marco to lope over and high-five. He meandered his way up the aisle, jogging slowly before stopping to give out more and more high-fives as smiling nobles reached out to receive one. It was mostly the younger generation, however, Star did see her Uncle Heartude excitedly lean out to catch one as Marco got close to them.

Finally, though, he was here. Star stepped down in front of her mother, just a single step above where Marco had stopped. She watched him bow in one fluid motion, his right hand tight to his chest over his heart and his left hand flung back behind him. She waited for him to kneel as she held out both of her hands, blushing once more as he took them. His hands were warm and soft, but she coujld feel them trembling slightly. And now that he was closer, Star could see he was breathing in rapid, short breaths. Okay Star, get this over with quick so you can figure out what the heck Tom did to him…

Forcing herself to take a deep breath she began, focusing on the magic her mother had taught her for this moment. A golden shaft of light flared into brilliant radiance above, illuminating the two of them in a pool of gold. He was looking at her expectantly, a smile she knew from memory on his lips as she gave his hands an affectionate squeeze. "Marco Ubaldo Diaz," she began, reciting the opening

words of the oath, "do you swear to serve the crown truly and faithfully?"

"I do."

Inside, Star felt the special connection she'd shared with him since The Blood Moon Ball thrum in appreciation as she continued. "To govern and act as the Queen's representative to the people of the Butterfly Kingdom?" Tendrils of pink and blue magic spiraled out of her forearms, wrapping around them as they snaked down to encircle his own.

"I do."

"To defend Her Kingdom against enemies wherever they may be found?" Tiny pink hearts and butterflies made of pure magic twittered and flitted from the illuminated bands binding the two of them together. Star could see them reflected in his eyes. The view was so enchanting, she had to focus hard to continue the Oath.

"I do."

"To be just and fair to Her subjects as you rule in Her name." The bond flared in her chest, feeling eerily similar to times she'd get a hug from Marco in his hoodie. A feeling so strangely alike, it made the hair on the back of her arms stand up.

"I do."

"Then rise." Moon's voice broke over them as the bands wrapping them together sunk into their skin. Star watched as her boyfriend got to his feet, only letting go of his hands reluctantly before stepping back. Above them, the beam of light focused, narrowing until only he was standing under its golden glow. "Marco Ubaldo Diaz, I hereby bestow on you the title, 1st Marquess of Ruby Corn Hall."

The music soared, the clarion call of horns sounding in celebration as a flash of dazzling blue-white light made Star squint. Blinking the spots away, she looked on in awe while her mother wove blue glowing hands through the air like a conductor. Above where Marco was standing she saw a twisting ball of liquid gold that rippled as a chain of blocky links formed from its surface. Damn, Mom, there's those sweet magic moves again, she thought, impressed, though feeling once again that she still had a lot to learn.

Continuing to watch along with the rest of the crowd, Star grinned with delight as the last of the links left the ball of liquid gold to join with itself. With a snap of her mother's fingers, she saw the remaining gold flash into opalescent brilliance before dividing itself neatly into ten small orbs. They faded quickly, each transforming into a sparkling ruby the size of her thumbnail before setting themselves into the chain that was now landing lightly onto Marco's shoulders. It was the first time she'd ever seen anything like this. Usually, her mother just picked the chain up off a pillow held by Manfred. To see she'd gone through so much extra effort for him…

"All Rise."

Manfred's voice sounded out as her father pounded the butt of his crystal staff into the floor, the booming thuds punctuating the crowd's motion as they all stood. Star could see Mr. and Mrs. Diaz in the front row, Rafael dabbing at very wet eyes as Angie beamed at her son. Further back, she spotted Janna and Tom. He was whispering excitedly into her ear as he motioned between the two of them before pointing at her and Marco. Probably planning our next double date… she thought, already looking forward to whatever awesome adventure they all shared next.

Speaking of next… Star stepped down to where Marco had turned around to face the assembled crowd. The music had swelled, enfolding them all in its warm embrace once more to signal the royal party to lead the procession back out of the Hall. She'd probably practiced this walk at least a dozen times with Marco over the past couple of weeks, always taking the front position as a symbol of her role in "Leading our Kingdom to the future," or whatever her mother had said. But she had a different plan.

Reaching, she slipped her hand into his and squeezed, feeling her heart flutter when he returned the pressure. A frisson ran around the hall as the nobles saw what she'd done, and Star took particular pleasure at the ugly look on Appleton's face as she interwound her fingers with his and stepped forward. "C'mon Marco," she turned to him, happy to still see him smiling even with her improvisation. "Let's show these stuffed shirts how it's done."

"Absolutely."

Rising their joined hands, she was amazed to see how many people were applauding. People she had seen only a month or so ago sneering and gossiping to each other about Marco were enthusiastically clapping as she led him down the stairs and aisle. Chancing a glance back at her parents, she was unsurprised to see her father's face split in an ear-to-ear grin. Even better, however, was the nod of approval she got from her Mom as they swept through the huge doors and out into the crisp Mewni sunshine.

"Marrrcooo, that was AMAZING!" Star gushed, wrapping her arms around him a hug she wanted to make last all day. "You did so great! And Mom, I mean wow…with the waving and the liquid gold and the–" She cut herself off when she realized she was rambling.

"Do you hear that?"

Marco's question made Star perk her ears, listening. She could hear the sound of a bell tolling, and then another. A third joined in, followed by the booming peal of the large bell in the castle.

"Your Majesties!" Several guards were running up and looking grim. They looked dirty and disheveled, while one of them had a trickle of blood running from a wound just below the cutout in the faceplate of his helmet. They skidded to a stop, taking a moment to bow, something which her mother angrily waved off before they reported. "My Queen, there is a riot in the market, hundreds of Monsters and mewmans from outlying villages. I have my men responding, but the situation is deteriorating. Without reinforcements…"

Moon didn't miss a beat. "River, gather Lady Whosits's knights and meet me in the square in five minutes. Percival," she began as she met the wide-eyed captain's near-panicked gaze, "Gather our men and regroup at the edge of the market. You'll be torn apart piecemeal if you continue to try and contain the violence with so few men."

Star shared a knowing look with Marco as they both watched her mother continue to rattle off orders to various guards and knights as they ran up to her. Waiting until her mother was dealing with three functionaries at the same time, she turned to Marco and lowered her voice. "We need to go help."

Marco looked quickly to where Moon was still busy, happy to see a small crowd forming as they all sought instructions. "We can get there a lot sooner than five minutes," he answered. Turning back to Star, he reached into his pocket and winced as remembered that Janna had his scissors. "Gonna need a ride, though."