Author's Note: Some POV changes here to advance the plot. The tone remains pretty down for the most part in this chapter until the end, where we get a much-needed infusion of Starco fluff.

Enjoy the chapter!

…

Chapter Three: Close

In the depths of Mewni's monster town, despite an increased Butterfly military presence, word managed to get around about what happened at the Avarius Castle. The original belief of the monsters was that the wand had been destroyed—that the princess was vulnerable, but only a week after the battle, the rumors had already changed.

It was known that Star still had her wand, even though something seemed different about it. It was known that she was well-protected, even if the people she stayed with were too weak to fight for themselves. But what wasn't known was far more concerning for the Butterfly family and their interests.

The whispers of even the least-knowing monsters were that Toffee was still around. Nobody knew where. Nobody knew how. But somehow his survival seemed like it was more of a probability than a possibility.

Toffee had managed to keep himself hidden for twenty-nine years after his legendary face-off versus the queen, but since the battle at the Avarius castle, it seemed that the Queen was more hidden than Toffee himself. She was nowhere to be found for events she would always show her face for. Whether it was a simple royal address, which she would never typically miss for fear of the King misspeaking, or a simple hearing, she was nowhere to be found.

This was true for everyone but the King himself, who only knew as much as the Queen had told him. She had left on horseback, riding into the enchanted forest with her only word being that she had some "Old Business" to attend to, which wasn't technically a lie.

The attack had taken place two days before she arrived at her destination, a cavern known only by those to who the title of Queen had applied in the extensive history of the Butterfly Kingdom.

She moved with unparalleled urgency, wearing only a fourth of the armor that she would usually wear when going on such a dangerous mission.

She remembered Star's words. She remembered how casually she uttered his terrible name.

"Yeah, it wasn't Ludo at all, it was some guy named Toffee."

It sent shivers down her spine just thinking that her daughter had been so close to that monster.

If what she said was true—if Toffee was truly her attacker, then there was no doubt in her mind that he wouldn't have died so easily.

Still, she had to know for herself. She had to know for sure.

There was one way that she could know if her kingdom was at risk of being destroyed, and she was in the cave right in front of her.

…

Star's eyes blinked open slowly. She lay on a small sofa, awakening in the same disturbingly white room in which she had fallen asleep. She held her wand in her hand, wrapped up in Marco's torn hoodie, which she held close to her for the hours that she had been asleep.

Slowly, Star was able to sit up, drool on her chin and sweat on her brow. The room was uncomfortable, but when her eyes fell on Marco, she was able to ignore her discomfort.

Seeing that she had woken up, Mr. Diaz waved to her, somehow as enthusiastic as ever despite himself and his wife sharing the same sleepless expression.

"Good evening, Star," he practically shouted.

"Yeah… good evenin` Mr. Diaz," Star replied with a groggy voice.

Having just woken up, Star could barely comprehend the fact that she was in a hospital, let alone what Rafael had said, but after a couple of seconds, a look of confusion took over her face.

"Wait," Star bursted out, "Did you just say evening?"

Rafael chuckled, pointing to a clock that hung just above the room's door.

"Yes! You slept for quite some time, Star. You almost had me worried."

Star nervously chuckled herself, her eyes falling on Marco, who was fast asleep on his hospital bed, casts on his arms and legs and a tube running into his arm. If it was really already so late—if the sun was truly already setting and Marco was still asleep, then things were somehow even worse than she thought.

Naturally, Star's natural smile faded. Seeing this, Angie got to her feet and sat beside her, wrapping her arms around her softly.

"He's gonna be okay. He just needs some time to heal."

Still, Star couldn't help but cringe. It wasn't like this was the first time Marco had been hurt, let alone in all of the time that he and Star had been friends, but it was never this bad.

Images flashed through her mind of how he looked the night before. Blood spilled from his entire body. She remembered the sound of his bones snapping under the weight of the monster's foot. If it wasn't for that sound—that terrible sound, that monster might have made it out alive like his master did.

She was glad that she had killed him, but that didn't undo the damage that he had done, and if his master hadn't left, she wasn't sure she would have been able to save Marco or even herself.

Marco was a fierce fighter, so seeing him like that—seeing him be beaten so easily, it was terrifying, and now, Marco wasn't even conscious. She knew that he was alive, but it was almost like she had no proof.

Without warning, Star peeled away from Angie's embrace. Even after what must have been a long night of sleep, Star's legs were tired, so walking was a struggle, but after a few seconds, she managed to come to Marco's side.

She stared at him for several seconds, a stir of emotions flowing through her. She heard the rhythmic beeping of the heart rate monitor on the other side of Marco's bed, but still, that wasn't proof enough.

Slowly, she put her ear to Marco's chest and, almost immediately, she heard what she needed to hear.

His heart was beating slowly, but it was still beating nonetheless. It was exactly what she needed to hear and it was beautiful. It was proof that he was still with her. It was proof that she hadn't failed. It was proof that not only would she not leave him alone, but she wouldn't leave her alone in this world either.

A heartbeat, slow and steady, was more wonderful than any piece of music that she had ever heard on Earth or Mewni. It was all she needed and she never wanted to let go.

She didn't move for several minutes, nearly going as far as falling asleep on his chest, but after a while, she felt his heartbeat begin to climb. The thought was intriguing, but she still couldn't force herself to move away.

Seconds later, she felt his warm arms around her. She was enveloped completely in his comforting embrace. She peeled herself from his chest and returned the embrace, tears nearly spilling from her eyes as he held her close.

Almost instantly, Angie and Rafael sprung from their seats to join the embrace.

None spoke a word—none hoped to. Only their cries of jubilance broke the peace of the room. Marco had been asleep for almost eighteen hours and finally, he was awake.

After nearly five full minutes, Angie finally peeled away and called for a doctor.

Within seconds, the same man that had allowed Star to see Marco early the night before stumbled into the room, his glasses nearly falling off of his face as Angie dragged him inside.

"Jeez, you weren't kidding," the doctor let out with a chuckle, "Patients can go in and out of consciousness after a surgery like that, but you look pretty awake there, huh Marco?"

Marco chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Star turned to the doctor, still confused.

"So, should we be worried," she asked in a soft tone.

The doctor let out a contemplative sigh, tapping his pencil to the side of his head for a couple of seconds before finally answering, "I… don't think so."

The confusion among the family only worsened. The doctor cleared his throat before clarifying.

"It's not that waking up early is unprecedented or anything, but it is pretty rare and all cases are different, but in my opinion, you shouldn't have anything to worry about in terms of his health."

The tension in the room faded nearly in an instant, but before anyone could even catch their breath, the doctor continued.

"Still, he did break several bones, including multiple ribs, both of his collarbones, and several bones in his arms, so he should take several weeks at the very least to rest."

Star turned to Marco with anxious eyes, watching as he began to panic.

She walked to his side and held his trembling hand in her own even as the doctor continued.

"Of course, we recommend that you stay here for at least a couple more nights, but we do understand that not everyone can afford that, so if you really want to, you could check out as soon as the next hour."

All eyes fell on Marco. He looked tired, even after so much sleep. He didn't look like he could take more of this stress. He looked like he only had one choice, but after several seconds of silence, he met Star's eyes.

He remembered all that he had been through with her. He remembered her words. He remembered her promise. But most of all, he looked into her eyes. She was an easy person for him to read.

He knew when she was scared. He knew when she was sad. He peered into her soul through her pupils, but as long as he searched, he saw no fear. He knew that she would stick to her word, and after a long five months at her side, he knew that he was safest when she was close.

"I'm ready to go home," he said, cracking a grin as she smiled back at him.

His parents were stunned, but in the end, when they saw how he looked at Star, they knew better than to try and change his mind.

As the doctor said, it took nearly an hour for the family to check out of the hospital despite there being no line at the reception desk, and after all was said and done, the family finally walked out, Marco limping around with the single crutch that the hospital had given him.

Star helped to brace him up, but she could tell he was still in pain. It was hard for her to watch, but every time he turned to her, he smiled. She didn't understand, but as the Diaz parents brought the family van around and the duo climbed inside, she was just happy to be leaving.

The drive home was a long and quiet one. An unspoken tension hung between the family for the length of the journey and even as they walked into the house, which they hadn't seen for a second since the attack the night before.

Unable to bear the silent Diaz family, Star was quick to break away, escaping to the shower upstairs at her first opportunity. She walked past her open bedroom door, chills running down her spine as she ran toward the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Marco watched as she ran upstairs, sighing as he stood alone in his living room.

It was quiet for the first time in days. Not even his parents were talking. It was almost too surreal for him to accept as reality. After several seconds, he turned to the stairs, limping to the top in what had to have been the most frustrating process of his entire life.

At the summit of the stairs, he finally took a breath. His body ached all over. Every ounce of his being yearned for rest, but as he began his trek toward his bed, his morbid curiosity consumed him.

Star's door was wide open. It was the scene of the very crime that left him in his nearly crippled state.

There was still blood on the floor—his blood, and there was more of it on the ground than he thought was even in his body. Needless to say, he had never taken such a beating. He was a skilled fighter after all, and the usual monsters that came after Star were simply far weaker than those that he saw the night before.

He thought that he was gonna die. He thought that his family was gonna die. It was just like when he was in that glass cage, but just like when the walls of the cave were closing in on him, Star stepped up.

She had that same look in her eye as well. He'd only seen it twice, both in the last two days, but both times, it saved him. Whatever rage was buried so deep inside that kind and loving girl was the only reason that he was alive.

She killed the monster that nearly broke his spine without breaking so much as a sweat. She always tried to avoid killing, but there was no mistaking Star's intentions. She was aiming for the head and her aim was true.

He knew that this should have scared him—he knew that this wasn't Star, but somehow, it only gave him comfort. He wasn't sure how he could tell her, but he was glad that she made that promise. He needed her to protect him. He needed her to stay close.

After several minutes, his focus on the open door broke. He hadn't even noticed before, but he heard Star showering at the end of the hall, and it was only when he heard the water stop pouring that he was able to shake himself out of his trance. He stared into Star's room with disgust for a moment before pulling the door closed and hobbling into his room.

With a grunt, he hopped onto his bed, laying his crutch beside his bed. Again, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to relax, but it was clear that peace was something that he would never have in a house with Star.

Only a second after he took his breath, he heard the bathroom door creek open, his favorite Mewman sauntering through with a towel around her body. He heard her cast a spell, and only a second later, she walked into his room, dressed in her usual teal dress.

She dragged her massive book of spells into the room, grunting as she lifted it onto his bed. He stared at her with confusion through the entire, laughably long process. She took several deep breaths before hopping onto the end of the bed, pulling the book open, and whipping up a hairbrush.

Marco tilted her head with confusion, but it was like Star hadn't even noticed he was there. He exaggeratedly cleared his throat, expecting to garner her attention, but even after several seconds, he met the same result.

He shook his head, chuckling to himself.

"I didn't think you were being this literal when you said you wouldn't leave me alone, Star," Marco remarked with a snarky tone.

She sat at the end of his bed, brushing her hair as she read from her spellbook. She turned to him and tilted her head with confusion.

"Marco, I had to see your open stomach last time I left you alone," she retorted, "You could probably get why I'm staying so close…"

"Yeah, I-" Marco agreed with a sigh before realizing what she had said, "Wait, what? You saw my open stomach?"

"Yeah yeah, not important Marco," Star remarked dismissively, turning her attention back to her book.

After about a minute, Star scoffed.

"Would you-" she stopped, "Nevermind, it's stupid…"

Having known Star for what felt like a lifetime, he knew how to respond to her when she was like this. He sat up and joined her at the end of his bed, waiting for her to turn to him before finally starting.

"Don't worry, I say stupid things all the time. You can ask me whatever you want."

She sighed, struggling to make eye contact.

"It's just- Would you- Do you-"

"Star," he called, grabbing her face and pointing it to his own gently, "It's okay, take your time…"

Again, she sighed, meeting his eyes.

"Would you mind if I slept in here," she asked with a sheepish expression.

Marco tilted his head and immediately her confidence vanished.

"See, it was stupid, I-"

"What do you mean? Do you want to… you know… bring a sleeping bag in here, or?"

"Marco, I have a wand, I can create a bed out of thin air…"

"Oh- Well… see, I'm the stupid one."

Star chuckled, but couldn't meet Marco's eyes. Without warning, he answered.

"I don't see why not then."

Star's face lit up, and in an instant, her arms were wrapped around the boy's waist.

"Really," she asked, in disbelief. Marco merely nodded, and with a simple flick of her wand, she created a massive canopy bed only a foot away from Marco's, jumping onto it with a happy squeal.

"I'm gonna regret that," Marco mumbled to himself as Star struggled to lift her massive spellbook from his bed to her own.

It was quiet for a while after that. Marco scrolled through his phone mindlessly, ignoring Star's typical groans, knowing that if he acknowledged her, she would just complain about studying, and after a while, he felt sleep begin to nag at him.

Without a word, he rolled over in his bed, turned off his phone, and closed his eyes. He yawned, ready to be consumed by slumber when suddenly, Star gasped so loud he nearly had a heart attack.

"Marco," Star shouted with great offense.
He rolled over with a deep, exasperated sigh.

"What," he shouted back with annoyance.

Star crossed her arms and turned away. Sensing that Star was somehow offended, Marco eased his tone, sitting up and walking over to her bed, which was only about a foot away.

"What's up," he asked with a softer tone.

Star remained stubborn, refusing to face him, but she still answered.

"We have been best friends for five months…"

Marco raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he quickly gathered what she was about to say.

"...and you still forgot to say goodnight."
"You are unbelievable," Marco remarked with a chuckle, walking back to his bed only for Star to gasp again, somehow louder than before.

"Oh. My. God."

Marco turned around and returned to Star, who remained turned away. Still, he was able to see her cracking a smile. He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her.

"I know, I forgot to give you a hug too, right?"

Star giggled, turning around and returning the embrace. Marco shook his head, chuckling to himself as he peeled away. He stood in front of her, arms crossed.

"Anything else," he asked with a sigh.

She shook her head, but as Marco turned around, she remembered something.

"Oh," she said, waiting for Marco to turn around. He met her eyes and for a moment, she froze, but after a couple of seconds, she managed to get her words out.

"Goodnight, Marco," she said in a soft tone.

Marco smiled, nodding.

"Goodnight, Star," he returned, finally walking back to his bed and crawling inside.

Star watched as he pulled his sheets over himself and turned away, smiling as she watched him drift off to sleep. She lifted her wand to turn off the lights, but just before she could cast a spell, the now familiar green sparks flew from its end. She jerked her arm back, staring at the wand with frustration.

With a sigh, she got to her feet and walked past Marco's bed to turn off the lights "Earth girl style."

As she walked past Marco on the way back, she sighed, whispering "Sleep tight" before crawling into her own bed. She closed her spellbook and pushed it to the edge of her mattress.

Finally, she laid down, facing the wall. She tossed and turned in her bed for minutes before letting out a frustrated groan. She sat up in her bed and turned to Marco with tired eyes and managed to smile.

It wasn't like she was watching him sleep. She was just happy to see him happy and comfortable after the beating he took the day before. She thought back to his hopeless face when the monster's foot was on his back and laid back down in bed, her eyes lingering on his sleeping form.

He had been through so much with her. She wanted to save him by staying away, but now she knew that she couldn't. She knew that he needed her. She knew that she couldn't bear to see him in so much pain again. She knew that she couldn't bear to not see him again.

She knew she had to make good on her promise.

She knew that she could never leave him alone again.

…

Moon sauntered through the dark and unfamiliar cave with painstaking care, keeping herself vigilant as she pushed forward.

Her torch was still lit but barely did enough to illuminate her immediate surroundings. She even nearly bumped into a couple of rocks. If it wasn't for her vigilance, she was sure that she would have already gotten lost by now.

But she couldn't. She had to get to the end of the cave. She had to make sure that she was still there. Mewni had enough problems already, they didn't need her out as well, making trouble when the Butterfly Troops were already so thinly spread.

Star was sure that Toffee was gone, but Moon knew better than that. The whispering spell was strong, but if every bit of him wasn't destroyed, then he was still out there somewhere. Still, she remembered the deal she made long ago. She knew that if somehow Star was right and Toffee was killed, a much bigger problem would face the Butterfly Kingdom—a dark and cruel power that none on Mewni could oppose.

She hastened her pace, knowing that if she was too late, the world as she knew it would surely be destroyed.

She sprinted through the cave for several minutes before she rounded the cave's final, familiar sharp turn, skidding to a stop as quickly as she could, dropping her torch as she nearly lost her footing.

She watched as the torch plundered into the infinite abyss below her, her breaths unsteady. She focused her energy into a small, blue ball of light in her palm, illuminating only the narrow path ahead of her.

She furrowed her brow, walking forward with precision and urgency.

Her path grew more slender by the second, and by the time she reached its end, there was only about an inch of leverage for her to stand on.

Ahead of her was a several-foot gap. She stared at it for a moment before walking toward it nonchalantly. Below her feet appeared a new bright platform with every step.

Her focus was on her feet until she finally reached her destination. A large platform of rock surrounded the crystalized prison of Eclipsa, the Queen of Darkness, the infamous queen who abandoned her people to marry a monster.

With great disgust and apprehension, she once again focused her energy into her palm, creating the biggest ball of light that she could manage.

The room illuminated in only a second, revealing exactly what Moon had hoped to find.

Eclipsa remained, her prison fully intact.

Moon let out a sigh of relief, but her respite was short-lived. This meant that Toffee truly was still out there. Star was wrong. He survived the whispering spell, and this meant that she was in more danger than she could possibly comprehend.

Without a thought of hesitation, she reached into her bag and pulled out her pair of dimensional scissors, slicing them through the air with urgency.

…

Author's Note:

So, I know, another downbeat chapter, but please, trust me, this story is gonna get really fun, really fast. I just wanted the struggle that Star was going through to be clear. She is used to these happy-go-lucky adventures with Marco, and with Marco taking such an extreme beating, she can't really accept everything that's going on.

To prove that the story is gonna get more fun, I'll give you guys a little sneak peek into the next chapter, which I'm really excited to write. I won't say much, but to explain why I'm so excited, I'll just say this: A certain ex of Star's is good at finding ways to make you hate him.

Okay, so, with that, I don't have a lot more to say. I really appreciate you all sticking with me through the first few chapters of this story and I hope you're ready for the real fun to begin.

As always, your follows, favorites, and comments are greatly appreciated. Without them, I'm not sure that I'd be able to muster up the motivation to write these chapters, so, again, thanks for the support and I'd really like to hear from you!

See you soon!

~lucash21

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