Author's Notes:
Like I said on my Instagram story, this chapter is gonna be a bit of a departure from the usual chapters. As the title suggests, this chapter focuses on the backstory of a character that I've created for this story. I won't explain everything here, because that would ruin the point of having this chapter, but nothing else made sense to happen right now, so it felt like a good time to have the characters chill for a chapter.
This chapter is different than the others, yes, but I would still say that it is very necessary for understanding the overall plot of the story. A lot gets explained about the first chapter and the attack that landed Marco in the hospital, so I wouldn't recommend skipping it, but if you guys want, I can make a summary of this chapter either in the author's notes of this chapter, in the comments of this chapter, or in the author's notes of the next chapter. Up to you guys.
Anyways, I'll leave you guys there. See you at the bottom! Enjoy!
…
Chapter Five: Voracius, the Devourer
"This is so BORING," Star shouted, sitting up from her bed faster than Marco could blink. He got up slowly, wincing in pain. He held his hand over his stomach as he finally managed to sit up.
"I'd take this over the Underworld," Marco remarked with a chuckle. Star crossed her arms, groaning.
"We shouldn't even be here in the first place," Star shouted, throwing her arms in the air with frustration, "We should be out there! We should be looking for Toffee so we can finally kill him and get this over with!"
Marco nodded. He wanted to support Star, and he understood where she was coming from, but he remembered Toffee, maybe even better than Star did. He wasn't like Ludo. He wasn't weak. Toffee would have killed him if Star didn't hand over the wand as quickly as she did. He rubbed the back of his neck with weary eyes as Star finally gave up complaining.
Star stuffed her face into her pillows, letting her body go limp.
Several minutes later, the bedroom door creaked open for the second time. Inside it stood a familiar, short man.
"River," Marco questioned with a confused tone.
Star shot up from her bed in an instant, practically teleporting to the door and wrapping her arms around her father.
"Dad," Star squealed with excitement.
"My shining Star," he shouted, reciprocating his daughter's embrace. He held his daughter close, his monstrous arms wrapped around her for nearly a full minute before, finally, he pulled away, acknowledging the other person in the room. He waved in Marco's direction.
"It's good to see you, my boy," he remarked, a strange inflection behind his voice. Marco nodded in the King's direction.
Without another word, the King walked into the room and pulled out a seat from Star's desk, sitting down in the middle of the room.
"So," he started, "Tell me all about it—what kind've trouble have you been getting into?"
"So much," Star gleamed with more ecstasy than Marco had seen in her since before Toffee had come back.
"Marco and I have been on so many adventures, like- Oh," she turned to Marco, "What about that time we broke into Saint O's?"
River erupted into laughter.
"That was you two," he cried, nearly falling out of his chair, "I should've known!"
"Yeah," Star shouted back, "Marco dressed up as a princess and everything!"
"Is that so," the King asked Marco with his brows raised. Marco chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, too ashamed to admit what he'd done. However, to his surprise, the King didn't look down on him at all!
"Marco," he gleamed, "I used to do the same thing!"
Marco's eyes widened. The image of the King in a dress was too much to bear. He couldn't help but laugh, nearly crying at the mere thought.
"Of course," River clarified, "This was before I grew my beard…"
Marco didn't hear him. He couldn't restrain himself. It took almost a full minute for his laughs to subside, his face red and his jaw hurting.
The King seemed less amused, once again turning to his daughter.
"Well," he resumed, "What else have you been up to?"
The teens fell silent quickly, turning to each other in search of something to say. Images flashed through their minds of the past few days—the horror and pain that they had been through. It was hard to put it to words, and it was harder to decide what they could even tell him.
River watched as they struggled. He sighed.
"Listen," he began, garnering their attention in an instant, "I don't want to know all of it. Just give me something. I'm sure I can help."
Again, Marco and Star met each other's eyes, and this time, Star knew what to say.
"Actually," she began, "There is something."
She turned to Marco as if asking permission, and with a nod, it was granted.
"The day after Toffee-" she struggled, "The day after all of that, I came back to tell you guys about everything that happened."
Again, her eyes fell on Marco. It was clear that she was still affected by what happened that night. It was clear that she hadn't gotten past it yet, and if Marco was being honest, neither had he.
"While she was gone," Marco cut in with a downtrodden tone, "Two monsters attacked my house."
He paused, sighing, his eyes locked on Star's.
"They were looking for Star," he finally explained, "I told them that she wasn't there, but they didn't believe me."
Marco's face fell. Star sat down beside him and tried to reassure him.
"Marco, you don't have to-"
Marco met the King's eyes, his brow furrowed.
"They almost killed me," he admitted, the King's eyes widening, "Star came back just in time. She even killed one of the monsters, but-"
He couldn't continue. Star sighed.
"The other monster escaped," she explained, her tone deflated.
The King laid back in his chair, a solemn expression on his face.
"What can you tell me about this monster? Have you ever seen him before?"
Marco turned to Star. She looked back at him, turned back to her father, and shook her head.
"I was only there for a second, but I got a pretty good look at him," Star determined.
"He was tall… I mean, really tall. He looked like Toffee, but- I don't know- Worse."
River leaned back, contemplating as Star continued.
"He almost… he-"
Marco stopped her, pulling her into a hug as tears formed in her eyes. Seconds passed. Marco's eyes lingered on the excogitative King, and finally, he responded.
"That's it," he determined, "I'm sure of it."
Star peeled away from Marco's embrace. She wiped away her tears, sitting up with waiting eyes.
"Voracius, the Devourer," he remarked, his tone weary.
Neither teen could manage a word. Marco turned to Star, a chill running down his spine. The King's face fell.
"His reappearance can't possibly mean anything good. I need to tell Moon, I-"
He began to stand up, but Star sprung out of her bed, grabbing his arm. He turned back to face her. He was almost as panicked as she was, but as he looked into her eyes, he couldn't walk away. There was a certain desperation. A need to know more.
"I-" River stammered, Star releasing his arm, "I'll tell you as much as I can, but I'll have to be quick."
Star nodded, sitting back on her bed, trembling. Noticing this, Marco grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes. He didn't say a word, but his eyes told her exactly what she needed to hear. Everything was going to be alright. He pulled his hand away, but she reached over, grabbing it and holding it in her own as her father finally began.
"Voracius-" River began, struggling to find words, "He's feared almost as highly as Toffee himself, especially among Mewmans."
"In truth, he is evil," he remarked with a sigh, "...but he is an evil that we created."
His face fell.
"He was young when your grandmother was Queen," he explained, meeting his daughter's eyes.
"Comet was beloved inside the Butterfly Kingdom, but outside… she was feared. She didn't 'play nice' as Queens of the past have with the monsters. Almost every morning, she sent a platoon of her best knights into the monster kingdom. She massacred them without remorse."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, pausing for a moment. He sighed, continuing with a tone of intense regret. It was as if he himself was somehow responsible for something that had happened long before he was born.
"One day," he resumed, "Her knights killed the wrong monsters." Again, he sighed, shaking his head.
"The knights killed Voracius's parents. They created the monster- They-"
He struggled to go on, his voice coarse.
"Their mistakes have put you two in more danger than they possibly could have expected."
Star walked to her father's side, easing him as he collected himself.
"Thank you, Star," he said, "but there's nothing you can do."
"Dad-" she tried, but he wouldn't listen.
"He's called "the devourer" for a reason, Star. After Toffee took him under his wing, he-"
"Toffee," questioned both teens. River shook his head, tears in his eyes.
"Yes, Star," he affirmed, "After we killed his parents, Toffee took him in. Of course, you know the rest of the story. Toffee started a revolution. He killed your grandmother and wore her skull on his shoulder like it was some trophy."
He paused, pointing to Star's bed.
"You should sit down, Star," he suggested, "This won't be easy to hear."
With apprehension in her eyes, she obeyed, taking her seat next to Marco. Her hand instinctually found Marco's, and after a couple of seconds, River finally continued.
"Toffee and Voracius are two very different monsters with two very different goals. It was Voracius who killed Comet, and it wasn't her skull that was on Toffee's shoulder. In truth, it was a fake, but what really happened to your grandmother is much worse."
He took a moment to gather himself before finally delineating what Star knew to be true.
"Voracius is known for consuming his victims, and your grandmother was no exception."
Star's eyes widened, her grip on Marco's hand tightening. It felt like her heart had stopped. Her grandmother was a strong woman. Her spellcasting was much stronger than Star's, and yet she still died, and in such a gruesome way. The thought was too much to bear. Her breaths grew harder to control. Her eyes welled up with tears that she could barely hold back. Still, River continued.
"He and Toffee often disagreed, but Voracius stayed at Toffee's side longer than anyone else. Most monsters fled after he lost his finger in his faceoff with Moon, but Voracius stayed with him long after. It is said that he watched as Toffee went mad, only leaving when he believed the man to be too far gone."
He sighed, coming to his daughter's side and holding her close.
"Still, the fact that he's still around is bad news," he determined.
After a few seconds, he turned to Marco with weary eyes.
"I'd like to have a word with you, Marco, if you wouldn't mind."
A chill ran down his spine, but for some reason, he still got to his feet, nodding without hesitation. The King nodded, peeling away from his daughter and opening the bedroom door.
Marco glanced back at Star before leaving the room. She held a pillow close to her body. Normally, she would be trembling in a situation like this, but now she was unmoving. Her eyes were fixated on the ground. It was like she was frozen in place. With a sigh, Marco followed the King out of the bedroom.
The second that he was out of the room, the King slammed the door shut behind him.
Marco's gaze snapped to the man, who stared back at him with unparalleled seriousness.
"Marco, my boy," he began, his voice more imposing than ever before, "I know that you snuck into my bedroom yesterday."
He felt his heart drop. He was sure that this was how he'd die, but before he could even faint, the man continued.
"Like I said before, I don't want to know why, but I know that it was Star."
Marco's eyes widened. He felt his body loosen up.
"She gets herself in a lot of trouble," River remarked, "I should know… she's my daughter."
Marco chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. The King softened, even letting a small grin crawl onto his face.
"Still," he resumed, his smile fading, "I'm glad that she has someone like you around."
Marco smiled, glad to have the man's approval. River, however, didn't seem as cheery.
"I doubted you, Marco," he remarked, "...but you proved something to me yesterday. You proved that you aren't afraid to break the rules if they need to be broken—if she needs you to break them."
Marco nodded, afraid to try and respond.
"It is for that reason, Marco, that I trust you with this," he remarked, reaching his hand behind his back and holding out his sword for the boy.
Marco's eyes glistened at the sight of such a beautiful weapon—its hilt was golden, carved with symbols that he couldn't possibly comprehend. River set the sword down in his hands and immediately, he noticed the weapon's best quality. It was so light that it was like the sword was a mere figment of his imagination.
"This sword is a Johansen family heirloom, my boy," River explained, "... We are known for our craftsmanship."
Marco couldn't help but smile.
"It's amazing," he remarked, balancing the sword on a single finger without breaking a sweat.
River too smiled, stepping forward. He put a hand on Marco's shoulder, garnering his attention quickly.
"I wouldn't give this sword to just anyone," River mused. Marco tilted his head with confusion, but River merely continued to smile.
"I've seen how you look at my daughter," he explained with a chuckle, "I know that look all too well, my boy."
Marco's cheeks flashed red. He stammered, but couldn't form a word.
"Don't waste your breath, son," he chuckled, "I have something else to give you as well."
Marco tilted his head again, looking down at the sword with confusion. Without a word, the man turned around, pulling a chest plate over his shoulders. Marco squinted, staring at it with confusion as River handed it over.
It was unlike any chest plate he'd seen before. It wasn't even connected on the sides. There were straps on each shoulder and at each hip. It seemed like it wouldn't offer much protection, but after receiving such a perfect sword, he wasn't quick to criticize.
"I'll admit that our design is… unusual," he remarked, "...but believe me, that piece of armor has saved my life more times than I care to remember."
Marco nodded, inspecting the armor with confusion. He traced his fingers over a symbol on the back of the plate. It looked like it was just a rock, but he could tell there was something more. River smiled.
"That's the Johansen crest," he explained, "It represents what my family stands for. We are strong on the outside, like the boulder you can see, but on the inside, we are pure of heart, like the gems that are often hidden in stones just like this one."
Marco smiled, his eyes lingering on the symbol for several seconds.
"Marco," River called after several moments, "I'm not giving you these gifts in order to protect yourself. You must understand, I-"
"I do," Marco interjected, meeting the King's eyes with his own, confident and sincere, "I'll keep her safe, I promise."
The King smiled, giving a single nod.
"Anyways," he resumed, "I must be going now. I need to inform Moon of what you two have told me."
Marco nodded, his mind absent as he stared at the sword and chest plate. River smiled, opening the bedroom door and allowing Marco to walk back in.
"Goodbye, my shining Star," he shouted. Star glanced in her father's direction, merely waving back at him. River turned to Marco. He didn't say a word, but Marco knew what he had to do.
Without another word, River shut the bedroom door, leaving the teens alone once more.
Marco carried his new possessions into the room, setting them down on the bed beside Star. She turned her head, staring at the sword with confusion.
"Marco," she questioned, "Why do you have my dad's sword? And is that his chest plate too?"
Marco sighed, sitting beside her with a smile.
"He gave them to me," he said, "He said- He wanted me to keep myself safe."
Star nodded, gesturing toward the chest plate.
"Hey, Marco," she called. Marco turned to her with a grin.
"I would-" she began, her face contorting with disgust, "I'd wash that before you wear it if I was you."
Marco chuckled, laying back on the bed. Star sighed, staring at her balcony for a moment before laying back with him.
Both teens let out a sigh, turning to each other. Marco put on a knowing smile, pulling Star's scissors out of her bag.
"Nachos?"
She smiled, nodding.
"Nachos."
…
Author's Notes:
Well, there's another chapter. Honestly, I was expecting something different when I wrote this, but I'm pretty happy with how this came out. I feel like I could have probably managed the characters better, but there's only so much I can do.
I know that this chapter is a big step down from the last one, but trust me, it was necessary. Not every chapter is gonna be so action-packed, and it takes a couple of slower chapters to build up to a fast one.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I did my best to sprinkle some Starco in there, because I know as well as anyone else that we need our daily dosages, and trust me, there'll be much more in the future.
Anyway, that's all I have. Like I said, I hope you enjoyed, and as usual, any follows, favorites, kudos, or other site-specific interactions are greatly appreciated. I really appreciate the comments and I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave one on this chapter. It doesn't have to be praise, because believe me, I know this story isn't perfect. In fact, I'd appreciate some constructive criticism if you have any and I'd be completely willing to answer any questions you guys may have. Anyways, I'll see you guys again soon!
~ lucash21
Also, THANKS FOR 200 VIEWS!