Forgotten Ventures

by Ronald reagan

If you could go back two years in your life, and you could remember everything, what would you change? When Marco Diaz wakes up in his old bedroom, with memories of events that haven't come to pass, he finds out that some things should stay the same. And that some things will change on their own. Rated M for language, violent scenes, and some spicy stuff.

8. Everything Is Different

Forgotten Ventures

Ch. 8

Everything Is Different

~ EDIT ~

A dark silhouette strode through a vast, expansive stone corridor deep in the bowels of a nearly forgotten castle. Starving torches lapped at the walls for fuel, barely casting enough light to see to the next. It was a grim place, and darker still were the intentions of those who called this place home. But none were as deeply rooted nor as satisfied with that darkness as the man making his way to the throne room. A far bigger threat than the hell-bent little imp who ruled this place, he was the warrior that would lead a charge against mewni and magic alike.

He smiled to himself, delighted with the possibilities and plans that would soon culminate into bloodshed. He had been waiting nearly twenty years to take revenge on a young queen that had demoralized his entire army, stole victory from right underneath him, and endured the praise of vanquishing Mewni's greatest enemy. All at the loss of a single finger.

One dark spell had been enough to crush his forces; it shouldn't have even been possible. He had natural regenerative powers that kept his body from ever being destroyed by force or ravaged by time. But she had done something to him. Despite his best efforts and despite his own breed of dark arts, his finger never grew back. To say it changed him would have been an understatement. But now it could all be made right. Now he could take revenge on her and her family. On Moon's entire kingdom. Toffee was ready to begin.

That is to say, he was until a tall, built man lurched before him through a swirling portal of cackling, broken, green magic. Toffee stopped without expression, sizing up the individual and his weapons before gracing him with a single question. "And who… might you be."

He knew damn well who the apparent failed assassin was, but rumor and hearsay only ever got him so far. The new arrival sighed in damning relief. His gauntlets moved to stow his blades at his sides. Keeping his green eyes fixed on Toffee, he answered, "You may grace my ears by calling me Vartek. Consider me a 'fan' of your work, and one who shares a common interest, at that."

Toffee stared at him with a bored grimace. The baited proclamation was all too obvious, but he decided to humor Vartek. For now. "My sources tell me that you, much like Ludo, have an interest in a Mewman princess by the name of Star Butterfly." He stepped around Vartek, but he didn't object to being followed. Two pairs of footsteps echoed through the stone halls, one heavy, and one refined. "In much the same vein, you haven't come close to beating these two children, despite at least two surprise attacks and magic at your disposal. Can you tell me why that is?"

Vartek held his tongue and restrained his murderous gut reaction. Voices whispered unspeakable acts from the darkness, but he forced them into silence. He kept his gaze forward and spoke in the regal, collected manner he had been raised to flaunt in front of those who believed themselves to be at a higher station than they were. "I lack knowledge of my enemy and underestimated them. I believed that their fabled strength, as I've come to know it, was simply a by-product of propaganda and embellishment. I overestimated the abilities of my magic, and have twice been reminded that I am… not the man I was."

"You're quite good at this, but you also lack restraint, just as the girl does," Toffee corrected. "Whatever power you have means nothing if you haven't honed it- cultivated it. You rely on power that isn't yours, that much is clear."

"And you lack the magic that I have… taken. We have a use for each other and a common enemy."

Toffee stopped beside the castle's throne room. The two-way interrogation had yielded fruit after all. He held his chin and thought about it for a moment, careful not to seem too desperate to level the playing field. He could practically smell Vartek's desperation, and the glaring issue of another Septarian in the fray left plenty to be desired. But with so little to lose and so much to gain? It was a far better deal than anything he could get with Ludo. "Very well, Vartek. You may have uses after all, and perhaps we can each benefit from a little outside help."

He turned to face Vartek directly, a sly grin all he offered to show his enthusiasm. "But know this: I won't tolerate another loose cannon with nothing more than a can-do attitude. I expect consistency and restraint if we are to see results, and in that, you will see the same. Do you understand?"

Vartek allowed himself a smile as the two made their way into the throne room.

"I believe we understand each other perfectly."

O - O - O - O - O - O - O

"Star! Move your butt! We're gonna be late again!" Marco shouted from the front door. Star was someone you very rarely had to rush, but she had never taken so long to prepare herself for the day. She called out from her room as thumping could be heard down the hallway. "I'm almost done! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get my hair straight in the morning!" She came barreling down the stairs and met Marco with that familiar toothy grin. "Sorry, we can't all wear the exact same clothes every day. Mix it up a little, throw on some fishnets and leather jackets!"

Marco laughed, shrugged it off, and walked with her out the door, waving goodbye to his parents as they stepped outside. "What can I say? I like red, and I like hoodies. Bought twelve of them and never looked back. It works for me." Star smiled at him and skipped along the street to the familiar bus stop. "I won't argue with you there, Diaz. But I think pink is more your color."

Putting that traumatic memory aside, Marco sighed with relief as the bus rolled up. The two boarded and plopped down in the cracking leather seats, bouncing with every pothole. He did his best not to focus on the motions, instead turning his attention to the last two weeks. "It was nice of your dad to keep your uh… lifestyle a secret from your mom. Even if he did terrorize the town and wreck the entire house in like, a single afternoon."

Star had been staring out the window and threw him a sheepish smile. She played with her hair and shrugged. "I'm sorry again, about your socks. But you have to admit he was really fun!" She laughed at his sour expression and laughed harder as he softened and broke into a smile.

"Nothing worse than wet socks. Your dad is amazing though, I wouldn't have guessed he'd be so good at mini golf. Orrrr hitting the ball into the next country." He smiled, remembering how he and River had fought to help save Mewni from Ludo's grasp, like two desperados inflicting guerilla warfare from the sewers. But his smile faltered as he also remembered how he'd been thanked. By being humiliated in front of Star and her entire family, wrapped in a meat blanket, and treated like an intruder.

Noticing his vacant expression, Star asked, "What about that lobster monster?" That minion of Ludos that had befriended the two, only to betray them and try to steal her wand? That wasn't something he'd remembered the second time around. "He was such a good guy. I can't believe he actually held my wand."

Marco started, looking at Star with a puzzled frown. He had used Star's wand before, it had even shifted to his preferences. It almost felt like it wanted him to find her in the realm of magic. He grew his own cheek marks and successfully summoned a dark magic spell. "Star? I don't know if even you from the future knows this, but I've used your wand before. I even used some spells."

She looked at him with a blank look and held her wand in front of her. "How did you do that? No one can just pick it up and start swinging it around, you have to be of royal blood. I think."

He shrugged and slumped into the seat. "I dunno, I just picked it up, flipped through your spellbook, and summoned a spell to find you when you got lost." He rubbed the back of his head. "I guess we got so worried about you that the wand gave me a pass?"

She giggled at the idea and gave Marco a shove. "That's dangerous talk, thinking you could up my power, 'mortal'," she mocked.

He immediately got in on the idea and played along, cowering meekly and holding out his hand. "Beggin' your pardon, my apologies, Magic one. I should 'ave known betteh than to test your awesome might, strong willpower, and insatiable hunger for 'uman flesh!" he mocked back. The two howled with laughter, prodding at one another all the way to school. The rest of the day had largely been uneventful, unfortunately. Oscar was now keeping his distance from Star and would drive away when she came near, something she found odd. But she didn't mind. He was probably just upset because of the phone call. "I can live with that." She thought to herself.

She was quite impressed that she hadn't gotten into any trouble from the school for damages. The two must have really kicked the cleaning out of the park. She still remembered chasing Marco around the hallways, little flashes of hunting him like some wild beast. Her smile wilted.

'Why did I chase Marco? Isn't he, like, my best friend? Wouldn't I chase after the bullies, or hunt down a teacher or something?' It was true, the two were far closer than she had expected them to get, much to Marco's credit for predicting it. But to be such good friends that she chased him around in Mewberty was ridiculous. 'Unless you were hunting for a… different reason." The voice from inside her head wondered.

"No, no no. I'm ignoring you this time," Star grumbled as she walked towards… Marco and Jackie? There came a bubbling heat in her chest accompanied by a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was a somewhat familiar feeling, but she couldn't put it into words. She frowned and felt her blood boil momentarily before taking a slow breath. "Why am I so… jealous?" she wondered. As she approached the two, Marco turned to her with a smile that faltered in a worried crack. She looked both furious and ready to throw up, her attention laid squarely on him.

She immediately saw his expression and put up a front, careful to mask her discomfort. Jackie wore her usual brand of cool smile, but for whatever reason, it annoyed her just enough to make it harder to keep her own smile going.

"Hey, guys! Whats uhh, going on over here? At sh-cool? Haaaa…"

Marco made a concerted effort to smile back at her and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just telling Jackie about what happened a few days ago, with your Mewberty stuff." Star felt a twinge of annoyance pluck the back of her head like a harp string. Who was Marco to talk about her personal business with Jackie of all people? Especially when they didn't even know why it had happened like it did? She wanted to berate him, but that wouldn't solve anything. She wanted to tell Jackie off but had no earthly reason to. She wanted to be mad, but why? She liked Jackie. "Well, I'm about ready to head home if you are."

Marco looked at her and then back to Jackie. "Well, that's me then. I'm gonna head home too. I'll catch you later?" Jackie just smiled at the two and collected her board, tossing it to the pavement and hopping on.

"Sounds good, Marco. You two take it easy!"

As Star and Marco started for the way home, she spoke in a low, monotone voice. "Why did you tell Jackie about Mewberty? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't talk about it, 'or we might get blamed for any broken stuff we missed.'"

He winced with the realization that she was absolutely right. "I didn't think you would mind, and I figured Jackie wasn't going to spill the beans to anyone. I'm sorry if I overstepped… She was curious about what happened."

She glared at the ground and kept walking, kicking small stones out of the way. "Maybe you should ask next time before you tell people about how I wrecked the school and hunted my best friend." She gave Marco a dirty look and grumbled, "Jackie doesn't need to know about my personal issues or my weird problems."

"I don't- it wasn't- you don't have weird problems, and we didn't even talk about the hunting thing," he explained, stopping in the street. "I think you're the coolest girl I know, and Jackie sounds like she thinks the same. Still, I'm sorry for talking about your personal business without asking first."

She kept a frown on her face and gripped her backpack straps. That harpsichord twinge of annoyance at the back of her mind was back. "What's the deal with you and Jackie anyways?" she mumbled. "I thought you weren't interested in her." She didn't mean to sound so accusatory, but it came across that way by Marco's expression.

He returned her look and gestured in the air. "I didn't say that I was, Star. She's a good friend of mine, that's it." Where was this coming from? Why was Star already acting this way about Jackie? It wasn't supposed to be for another year that the drama between the three of them started ramping up in full.

She glared at the ground and was silent for a moment. "Yeah. A good friend of yours." Before Marco could question her, a fountain of fire erupted in the street in front of them. The heat from the flames baked the asphalt, splitting it with cracks that grew wider and hotter. The cracks crumbled in chunks, spilling into the brimming hole roaring with fire. The crevice opened to allow a skeletal horse to rise out of it, dragging a carriage made of pure obsidian. It was made of polished stone and dark, stained wood, capped with Skulls and spikes for some sort of Gothic effect.

The chasm began to mend as the flames died, while the carriage settled on the freshly burned street. Neither Star nor Marco said a word as a hiss of smoke billowed, and the door slowly opened. Standing at the mouth of the carriage was another familiar face: Thomas Draconius Lucitor. Marco eyed the demon with light rose hair and two horns poking from the top of his head. He wore a clean black suit with a red flower on the lapel. His eyes were heavy with a calm, collected front, and he spoke as if trying to woo a lost love. "Heya, Starship. Long time no see, you're probably wondering, 'What's up with all the pageantry'. Well, I'm here… to take you to the Blood Moon Ball." He held out his hand and waited for her to swoon, to be swept off her feet, anything but what came next. By now, everyone who was within shouting distance was gawking at the boy whose steps spouted tufts of fire. Everyone except for Star.

She frowned, taking a step closer and putting her hands on his shoulders. "Nope no no nope nuh uh no way." She shoved him back onto the carriage and slammed the door hard enough to crack the stone. In no mood to deal with any of that, she started walking away when a fountain of fire lifted her up and into his waiting arms. "Cmoooon, Starship. The Blood Moon Ball only happens once every 667 years. You don't want me to have to go alone, do you? Music, games, dancing… And do you really wanna miss-"

"We broke up Tom! Seriously, you need to get a grip! Move on!" She shouted at him, pushing away and glaring at him. He was about to bring up his day's anger-free button and self-help-therapy rabbit when another young mortal he hadn't paid any mind to stepped between them. "Hey Star, are we gonna walk home or not? We're gonna be late, for that thing." Marco crossed his arms and made a point to look unafraid, an act made harder with each passing, heated second. While Tom was struggling to keep a lid on his boundless and very flammable rage, he managed a smile and stepped around him.

"Aww, who's your little friend, Star? You should tell him it's not polite to… interrupt." An array of fangs grew in the demon's mouth as his eyes lit up scarlet at the word. Marco uncrossed his arms and smiled back with far less bravado, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He knew he'd have to make nice with Tom eventually, and there was a good chance he could take him if it came to it. But the middle of the street on a school night wasn't the time nor the place for a fight. "My name is Marco Diaz. We're gonna be good friends one day, so try to remember that."

Tom's smile cracked for just a moment, the air getting hot between them. He twitched and drew breath, but before he could retort, Star stepped in. "Both of you knock it off. Tom, go home and stop trying to worm back into my life. And Marco, when we get home we're gonna have a nice long chit-chat." Marco nodded and made a show of smiling at Tom. He gave a thumbs up and started to leave as Tom sighed and stepped closer. This time with an air of caution. "Fine, but at least think about the dance, okay? If you change your mind, ring this bell, and I'll give you a night you'll never forget." He handed her a small metal bell with a crisscross iron handle capped in a ruby crescent moon. Oh, and don't forget the tiny hammer.

Star was, admittedly, somewhat captivated by the tiny bell. But still, she rolled her eyes and jammed the assorted 'gifts' into her purse. "Yeah, whatever, I'll think and ignore that offer all night, I promise. Now get out of here." He nodded back at her and blew a kiss before smiling blankly at Marco. "Be seeing you around, Diaz," he offered before stepping back into his carriage and slamming the door. The horse gave an ear-splitting whinney and lurched for the chasm, dragging the carriage back into the ground.

As the cracks mended in the street, Star and Marco continued walking home as if nothing had happened. Birds chirped above them, the wind blew lazily in the afternoon sun, and the best word to describe the changed atmosphere was: 'Awkward.' Star, mercifully, waited a few blocks before retrieving the bell and musing aloud, "I mean, should I go? What did I do last time?" She placed it back into her purse. "It sounds like bad news, but I don't like missing out on parties."

Despite the way her tone seemed to hang on every word like she was expecting a certain response in particular, he relented. Marco rubbed the back of his head and thought for a moment about how much information was 'too much'. He shrugged. "Last time, you went. But it didn't go well." Star gave him a blank look, like that hadn't been the reaction she'd wanted. "I'm sorry, but I can't spell it out for you. I tell you not to, you don't listen, and things kinda fall apart."

She eyed him before asking, "What happened? Be vague if you wanna, but if it's really bad then I think I'd rather stay." There it was again, that silent question she was asking him. He didn't know what she was trying to get at, but she was certainly expecting something out of him. He looked at her with indecisive confusion written all over his face. 'C'mon, just tell me to stay. If it was actually bad, you wouldn't let me go without a fight.' She didn't know why she wanted him to say it, maybe some intrusive thought wanted the security that came with him. That, or she just wanted an excuse to avoid Tom.

"I can't just tell you, Star. Just… trust me?"

"I'm not saying I don't! But if it's dangerous, or if it's a trap or something-"

Marco stopped. He gave her a carefully considerate gaze before shaking his head. "It's not like that, I promise. It's just- I don't- didn't…" He floundered, desperate for the universe to provide a better answer than what he had. "I didn't want you to go last time because I didn't trust Tom. And now that I know I can, I also know that this time I can't."

Star frowned. "That doesn't make a unicorn fart of sense. How can you trust him but not trust him?" She started tapping her foot, at least giving the idea a fair deal of thought. After a moment, she seemed to arrive at one conclusion in particular. "Are you… jealous?"

Now it was Marcos' turn to frown. He stared down the road in front of them, and his silence said it all. Before Star could jump on damage control or rephrasing to salvage the obviously precarious question, he sighed. "I was. For a long time, I was. But I'm not anymore, I promise. I… I don't see you like that. I just wanna make sure you're alright."

She was quiet, the two of them resuming their walk home with the distant chirp of birds to punctuate the silence. That wasn't the answer She'd been expecting, and for whatever reason, it bothered her. Memories of the Galleon's grave and the Bounce Lounge came and went, doing little to ease her irritation.

"I think… I'm going to go." She muttered, glaring at the sidewalk.

Marco turned to her and stared, but he didnt object, further cementing her irritation. The image of him and Jackie laughing together flashed pervasively through her mind. Finally, he nodded. "It's not even that good, but I won't say no. If you wanna go, that's your-."

Finally, something bent the wrong way and the words that came out of her mouth didn't even feel like her own. She turned to face him and glared. "If you're not gonna tell me anything about the dumb ball, then don't bother with the pointless advice. If I wanted cryptic warnings and backhanded sass I'd go spend the day with Glossaryck."

He stared for a moment, his eyes wide with shock. Just when the reflex to do damage control took over in Star's head, he grumbled, "Fine. Go and enjoy your night at the ball. You can have all the fun you want with your demon ex-boyfriend and I'll sit at home enjoying a good book." Not waiting for the inevitable chewing to his ear, he turned right and started for the long way home.

Star glared at his back before shouting, "Fine! I will have fun! It'll be the best ball I've ever been to! Not that you'd know!" It hardly made sense, even to her, but she didn't care. He was being a butt because she was being a butt, but if he wasn't going to be helpful, he could shut his trap. The rest of the trudge home was quietly infuriating.

O - O - O - O - O - O - O

An hour later, Star sat in her room. She had picked a dress she liked and put on the boots that matched it perfectly. She was about to do her hair when she realized that Marco hadn't said a word to her since he'd gotten home. He'd quietly excused himself to his room and hadn't made a peep since. It was unlike him to be so… quiet when she was about to do something he didn't agree with. And to get so cagey without coming to say anything to her? It wasn't just unusual, it was starting to worry her. She blasted her hair into a frilled bun and started walking to Marco's room.

Star politely knocked on his door before stepping inside. She found him reading on his bed, exactly as advertised. "Hey, Marco… uhh... I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I mean, I get that you just- I understand." He didn't move to respond but inclined his head to indicate he was at least listening. Now for the hard part. "That being said, I'm still gonna go. I went last time, so it can't be that bad, so… can you tell me if this looks okay?"

She stood there and patiently waited for his response, turning slightly. He looked up from his book and his eyes went wide. He remembered the dress she wore to the ball, but to see it again was a little shocking. A beautiful piece made of reds and whites and hearts cascading into a half gown cresting over her signature boots. Her hair was done up in a bun that made her blue eyes sparkle. She looked absolutely stunning. "You look… amazing, Star. Really. And don't worry about it. I shouldn't have said anything, much less been all cryptic and weird about it. I hope you enjoy your dance." He glued his eyes back to his book and Star stared at him.

She eyed him curiously, either not entirely believing him, or hoping for him to say something else. "Well, alright then. Still going, but I'll leave if anything weird happens. Or if people start casting spells and turning into ghooouuuls." She giggled at the sentiment, and finally, she beamed at the sight of Marco cracking a grin. He stood up and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. It caught her by surprise, but she hugged him back.

"I'm sorry I keep giving advice without an explanation, and being a butt when things don't go how I want," he mumbled, ignorant of the way Star caught her breath. She wondered what 'how he wanted' would have entailed, but that was better left a passing thought. "Now go have fun, and maybe bring me back some cake."

He released her and sat back down on his bed as she pulled out the bell. Now smiling, she rang it once with her tiny hammer, and to her surprise, it rang like a two-ton monastery gong. Flames erupted outside Marcos' window and a personal carriage, flown by a demon in a pillory slowly rose to meet the window. Star set the bell and hammer down before making her way to the window. "Well, have a good night, Diaz," she said as she climbed into the carriage, "don't wait up, but maybe we can make some nachos and watch telenovelas when I get back!"

Another pillar of fire rose from below, casting a ruddy glow to fill his room. As the noise, heat, and organ music died down, he looked up and waited. When he was sure she was gone, Marco practically dove from his bed and ripped open his closet. As fast as he could, he pulled out his Mariachi band costume and changed into the familiar getup. He then reached to the top shelf and grabbed a sugar skull mask, setting it on his bed. There were no wise words whispered by a painting, nor gut feeling to get to her before it was too late. It just… felt right, like it wasn't a reaction, but destiny that was pulling him along with reassuring speed.

"I won't interfere. But… I have to do this," he affirmed to no one but himself, his mask, and the ivory Moon hanging above the night sky.

O - O - O - O - O - O - O

*Hey, if you want some Music for the Vibes*

~ Chainsmoking: Jacob Banks ~

Star stepped through the imposing obsidian doors as music blasted from inside the most magnificent ballroom she'd ever seen. Both the grandeur and decorum of the Underworld were certainly nothing to sneeze at, and it was almost refreshing to see that its reputation still held up. Powerful amethyst columns rose around the ballroom's perimeter, draped with heavy red velvet curtains between. Braziers burned below, casting a familiar glow from sanguine flames.

The whole room blared like an imposing bloodbath over polished marble, and those in attendance were clearly cut of the same crop. Demons, thrills, minions, and ghouls alike strolled from the entrance in a vain attempt at posture, but she knew just by looking at them that they were only acting civilized. They snorted at inside jokes, some pointed at the 'lost Mewman', and some just openly stared at their surroundings with slack-jawed boredom. All things she'd grown used to down here. The denizens of the Underworld lived far longer than Mewmans and therefore had 'seen it all', not much surprising them on their home turf.

Approaching a less-than-fantastical folding table just past the doors, Star signed in with the guards and walked into the main rotunda. Taking in the atmosphere, the mood didn't seem like that much of a party, at least going by the other patrons. Less so was it a party of her caliber. But it was grand and it was formal, two things she'd gotten pretty good at faking, which was apparently in. She'd made it halfway to the main floor when a familiar voice shouted from the sidelines. "Hey! Starship!" Tom came running from an uncomfortably vacant line of chairs tucked out of sight, beaming an apparently genuine smile. "I knew you'd make it, it's good to see you. You look good."

'NOT AMAZING.'

Shoving down her intrusive second voice, she took his waiting arm and walked with him while he advertised the attractions of the ball. "You're gonna love it, Star," he began with a sweeping gesture around the room, "I know you don't like the usual taste of things here, so I toned down some of the 'creepy' underworld stuff this year just for you."

She nodded half-heartedly as they went from stall to stall, Tom listing off his best picks, and subsequently downplaying how badly they, well. Sucked. Not a single patron was enjoying them, and they really were only half to blame. 'Is this what Marco was warning me about,' she sighed, eyeballing a particularly unsettling 'blood shower' booth, 'the only dangerous thing here is how… lame everything is…' She tried to force a smile. "Thanks, Tom. This is all sooo… great…"

On the other side of the dance floor, another individual who stood out like a sore thumb was combing through crowds of demons and monsters with merciful ease. Marco may have been an oddball at a demon ball, but he had enough experience to not draw attention to himself. Something he'd picked up in the Neverzone that had never quite left him. He saw Star far ahead of him at the sign in line, evaded the guards with relative ease, and melted into the flowing crowd of demonic patrons. From his vantage point, he could make out both Star and Tom perusing the familiar, terrifyingly cringe booths at the far end.

As the music more or less assaulted everyone's ears, Marco would shift from one crowd to another, dodging lingering stares and unsettling questions. The pair of brightly dressed royals at the far end would move, and he would move with them. And when he wasn't watching them, he was eyeing the gargantuan crescent ruby at the head of the ballroom's dome.

Last time it had bathed the two of them in carmine light while they danced, allegedly choosing them for some kind of lame, prophecy-ridden ritual likely orchestrated by Tom. Avoiding such a glaring and literal spotlight on them would be his second highest priority, right after getting Star out of there unseen.

"Are you waiting for the selection?" A voice asked from behind. Marco winced and made to move again, but a strong grip grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Hey! I'm talking to you, stupid! you can't just walk away when I ask you a question!"

Marco turned to find a young woman in a deep maroon ball gown glaring at him. Her skin was bright orange, her eyes were red, and she had horns somewhat smaller than Tom's. She released his hand and pointed at his chest, an eyebrow quirked in either curiosity or annoyance. "I asked if you were waiting for the-"

"I heard you," Marco barked back, rubbing his wrist. Where she had held him, his skin was hot and red. "I don't know what that is, I'm just here to enjoy the party."

She clicked her tongue and gave his costume a once over. "Uh-huh. So you're obviously not from around here, because literally everyone knows about the Blood Moon Ball." She took a step around him, grabbing a class of 'punch' from a servant and taking a swig. "You from topside? Someplace cool?"

Leaning to catch a glimpse of Star's white and red dress, Marco let out a tepid sigh. "What's it to you?"

"I don't get out much. I'm a princess, not a peasant."

"They don't teach princesses manners?"

"They taught me not to be a douche when someone asks me a question, yeah."

Marco groaned and shook his head. "I'm from… Mewni. I thought it would be cool to see a demon party, I've never heard of a Blood Moon Ball, or a 'Selection'. Like you, I'm just trying to get out a little."

As the girl smiled one of her fangs peeked out from under her lip. She finished her drink and tossed the empty cup into a roaring brazier. "See? That wasn't so hard. A little common courtesy gets you a long way. But if you want my honest opinion?" She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "This Ball sucks balls, so I wouldn't take this as a demon gold standard. I heard the prince totally revamped it to try and impress some loser princess from Mewni- …no offense."

"None taken," Marco offered, surprised at how easily he meant it. From his limited experience with demons, this was a step up. And in that vein, he got an idea to make everyone happy. "If you want my advice, if you're really a princess, and if you really care? Tonight's not gonna go so good for To- for the prince. When the other princess ditches him, why don't you step in and fix him up? He could probably use someone to cry to, and-"

"And I get to play 'rebound' with the stuck-up prince? Yeah, no thanks," the young woman groaned. She stared at Marco, making to ask a likely dangerous question before he moved to leave. He gave her a short wave and offered sheepishly, "Take my advice or don't. Your future's yours."

As half an hour passed, Star really tried to enjoy the photo opportunity, the games, and other attractions available for guests to enjoy, even the 'dunk tank'. But there wasn't really any hope of saving it. The best she could manage was to simply wander aimlessly with him, forcing a smile at every little thing he presented. 'I really, really need to get out of here,' She thought, wincing at the idea of ditching.

She felt Tom nudge her arm, pulling her out of a thousand-yard stare aimed at the 'dunk tank'. "Star? Are you feeling alright? Is it the music? The location? The other demons? Be honest."

Too surprised that he was actually asking for her well-being without being told, she turned to him with a frenzied smile on her face. "Oooh yeah! I'm having a goooood time. I'm just.. uhh… a little tired! You know, from school. Sorry." He stared at her, his expression almost alarmingly blank before a warm grin spread across his face. "Cool. How about we head over to the dance floor? Feels like it's been too long since we cut up the crowd, you know?"

Star looked over his shoulder at the Ballroom and noticed the funny way it was crowded with monsters and demons alike, all shuffling lazily to the booming music. It felt so artificial, and the last thing she wanted was an excuse to hang around any longer than she had to. "Maaaaybe in a bit. I'm gonna go get some punch, maybe some fresh air before I-" Seconds from making her escape, Tom grabbed her wrist with alarming speed. "Or we could dance!" he provided with haste.

She made to wrench her hand free, berate him, deny his accusations that she was trying to ditch, and proceed to do exactly that, but two realizations struck her. The first was that she'd forgotten to bring her dimensional scissors. And the second… "who the heck is that?" She walked around him to find a man holding a rabbit up for Tom to rub as his breathing drew into unsteady seething.

"What the- is that the rabbit from-" Star trailed off, though she had a pretty good idea where this was going. "Are you getting angry?" She demanded. Tom held up his hands and forced a toothy grin dripping with unease and embarrassment. "No! No, not at all. I'm just so excited to dance with you and the rabbit helps with stress," he lied. It wasn't even one of his good lies. This was just- it was exactly like the rest of the ball. A pathetic attempt at something genuine, all to get her back.

"Ugh! Whatever dude, I'm gonna walk around, get some juice; you hang out with your rabbit guy and just- back off!" She stormed away, narrowly missing his shock twisting toward rage, and the small bit of fire enveloping the rose on his chest. "Let's just count to a hundred, Thomas. One, two, three…"

She marched over to the punch bowl, or rather, a bowl of searing hot magma bubbling like a witch's brew. With a sigh, Star stepped to her right and looked down at a regular punch bowl, adequately labeled 'for chumpz', and got herself a drink. It tasted pretty good, like pomegranate and cherries, much to her relief. While she started formulating her best odds at demanding a ride home, she eyed the other partygoers. One stood out in particular, dressed in some sort of dark, frilled outfit that seemed way too out of place for a ball of the underworld. But the moment she started to really look at the guy, he disappeared behind a couple.

Before she could set her mind on him, a short man dressed like what she vaguely recognized to be a pilgrim from Earth history stepped up to her. He jammed a finger towards her and shouted, "Hey! You! This whole ball is-" She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to within inches of her face. "Do not, talk to me right now. I probably wanna be here less than you do and I don't care if you have a problem with that." She set the shivering man down and glared daggers his way. "Go enjoy the stupid party, and I'm gonna TRY to do the same without narwhal blasting you."

The little pilgrim cowered before retreating to the stalls, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts. Riiiight before Tom came up and grabbed her hand. "Hey, Star, the dance is about to start, we gotta hurry before it's over," he offered. Whether it was because of the sincerity with which he told her, or the fact that the sooner she complied, the sooner she could leave? Star groaned and followed him.

He led her to the dancefloor, a sizable chunk of the crowd collecting to do the same. Apparently, it was a pretty popular dance, because the collective mood had shifted towards excitement, rather than begrudging attendance. The two waited for a moment as a song began to play, one of droning violins and bleaching woodwind instruments. Tom started, visibly shocked at even the first note. He glared at the speakers as if they had insulted him, rubbing the bridge of his nose and groaning. "Ugh! Nooo! This is all wrong! I gave them the song to play- they should've- ugh!" He let his shoulders sag for a moment before taking a step towards the DJ booth. "I'll be right back, Star, I promise. This stupid song is gonna bug me."

As he ducked away to change the song and order some executions, Star took to walking around the ballroom floor aimlessly. Something was… different. Being out here? In the middle of it all? She was mesmerized by the familiarity and pageantry of, well, everything. It felt like this was the one place in the whole universe she wanted to be. Then, she noticed the boy again. He was wearing a skeleton mask with intricate engravings on it, and a dark suit covered in frills and woven patterns. She couldn't help but stare at him, that familiar thrum in her chest growing by the second. It felt almost intoxicating, and she decided then and there that she had to chase that feeling. The problem was, it almost seemed to be avoiding her.

She frowned and began walking after him. Whatever that feeling was, it was growing, and it demanded that she get a better look at him. He ducked behind another group of people, weaving in and out of crowds with silent footsteps. Star pushed her way closer, watching him move like a ghost to explicitly avoid her. She rounded left while the boy tried to get away by circumventing a crowd of laughing demons. But as he turned to check her position, he found himself face to face with a very intrigued, annoyed, Mewman Princess. "Who are you?" she asked, blocking his path forward. He simply turned around to try and run from her again. Though it did little besides pissing her off even more.

She reached out, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him back, an apparently popular gesture that evening. He turned quickly and bumped into her front, graciously putting a hand on her waist to catch her from falling. Before either of them could process what was happening, the entire ballroom went dark, save for a spotlight of deep red that shone directly from the crescent ruby.

~Blood Moon Waltz: You know the one ~

Star, too surprised and shocked and dazed to move, stood still. The boy, eager to either move things along or get things over with, began pulling her into a dance. She stared at him for a moment, moving slowly and begrudgingly, and then broke into a smile. She turned and swayed with the rhythm of the soft tune playing above them and spun when he moved her hand above her head. He extended his arm and sent her gracefully forward before pulling her back into his embrace.

It all felt so…familiar. So normal. She felt like she was exactly where she needed to be, and that feeling grew with each step she took.

As the boy sidestepped and led her around the room, groups of demons and monsters around the two took notice, giving them more space to explore the dance floor. The boy stepped left, then right, leading Star in a wide circle with perfect timing, before dipping her low to the floor. He moved with precision, but grace. Every step felt perfectly choreographed, but not artificial. Like they were taken with every ounce of excitement and passion she lived with every single day. There was a gale of energy waiting to be set free, and every step was another rush she could chase.

Until he opened his mouth.

"Star, hey Star!" He whispered from behind his mask. Too dazed and focused on their dance to notice, she asked him, as if in a trance, "How did you know my name?"

The boy lifted his mask to show her his face. "It's me, Marco!"

And there it went. Every perfect step, the warm rush in her chest, the familiarity, shattered like a pane of glass. Star felt the color drain from her face as she continued dancing with him on autopilot, her mind racing to catch up. "MARCO?!" She shouted while stepping in perfect sync with him back to the center, "I don't- what the heck are you- what?"

"Cmon, Star. Let's beat it. This place is-" Before he could finish, the red spotlight turned a cold blue, narrowing in on them both as a low thrum began to reverberate through the ballroom. The warmth in the air seemed to be ripped away as the once-crimson sapphire crescent enveloped them in its chilled light. There was a warmth in their chests, a warmth that had been there since- since before they could remember. It was a part of them, and now that warmth seemed to flow towards the gemstone as if answering its call. There was a pull to something high above them and a nostalgic feeling of comfort that lay just out of their reach. Before either could voice concern, a voice boomed from all around them,

"Two dancers have felt the light,

and moved in harmony for a second night.

Since time immemorial, I've made my choices,

To let speak your hearts with true love's voices.

But go with caution, under this blue moon,

Two times I've graced you with a Waltz and a tune.

Waste not your chance, for you've paid the price.

A way to save yourselves…

I've bonded you…

twice."

Star stared at Marco with apoplectic confusion written all over her face, and his gaze read the same.

"Bonded..?" Star began.

"Twice..? Marco added. Before either of them could react, a pair of clicking heels marched up to Marco and shoved him away from Star. Tom stood seething, glaring down at the Human, the one source of oppressive heat in the entire venue. Before Marco could get up, and before Tom could say a word, the chilly blue light that had engulfed the room faded. The lights returned and Tom stared at Marco in silent shock. The braziers flickered as the room filled with gasps, and his eyes began to glow white hot.

"That dance… WAS MEANT… FOR ME!" At the end of his words, the braziers began erupting from all corners of the room, lapping at the velvet drapes. Fountains of flame began shooting up from the dance floor indiscriminately, torching any demon in their path. Tom slowly began to hover, but one icicle blast from Star's wand encased him in a six-hundred-pound block of solid ice. It thunked to the floor and dripped, but that was all.

Star walked up to him and stared for a moment, her eyes as cold and sharp as glass. With a shake of her head, she turned on her heels and made for the exit. "Portal time?" Marco asked calmly, flashing her pair of scissors.

"Portal time." Star grumbled with an edge of annoyance as groups of demons began to whisper to one another. As Marco cut a portal back home, he spied a familiar princess kneeling in front of the Tomcicle, heating it with a torrid glow from her hands.

A moment later, the two stepped gracefully out of their portal and onto Stars balcony, letting it close behind them. "That was infuriating!" She muttered, kicking off her boots and stamping towards her bedroom's French doors.

Marco slumped his shoulders and watched her go, wincing at the next words to come out of his mouth. "I'm sorry," he offered, noticing the way Star stopped dead in her tracks. "I just… I felt like- I dunno what I was thinking, it just felt… I don't want to interfere with your life choices, but I keep doing exactly that."

Star whirled around and stared at him, nearly making him jump when she threw her boots to the floor. "Not you! Tom! He used the ball in some dumb plan to do some weird ritual with me to get back together, and then you showed up and danced when-" She looked at him and gasped. "Wait, waitwaitwait... That voice said twice. And that this was the second time. Did you…" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you do that last time?"

It would have been easier if Tom had just burned him to a crisp, but Marco put his hands in his pockets. "Star, I...yes. I did. I'm sorry."

She stared at him. A stretch of time longer than any semblance of 'comfortable' passed before she took a step closer, analyzing the sincerity of his voice. "It's alright," she sighed, slumping to lean against the balcony beside him. "You were just looking out for me, to keep me from being taken advantage of. I… I appreciate it."

He looked over at her, the guilt in his tone not fading as he spoke softly. "I used what I know about the future to change things. Again," he added with emphasis. "That's not any better than Tom. I took away your right to choose what happens, so in a way, I took advantage of you too."

To his surprise, Star smiled at him and grabbed his hand. "Maybe. But you didn't know about it the first time. Which means that last time you dove in headfirst to keep me safe. You're my hero, Marco Diaz. And my best friend."

With that, she did something that made her head spin several different ways. She leaned over and kissed him softly. Their lips met for only a moment, but to Marco, it felt like an eternity. She felt the blood rise to her face as she held his hand tighter. Marco could barely breathe, his body too frozen with shock to move.

The world seemed to slow around them. She crept her hand up to his face and held his cheek as hers practically glowed. The kiss was short-lived, barely more than a quick peck, really. But to those two, the intoxicating, warm, and familiar feeling made it last forever.

They parted and stared into each other's eyes, both too shocked to form a single coherent thought. Finally, it was Marco who seemed to gather his wits. "Star, I-" but she cut him off before he could 'Marco' everything up and make a big deal out of something so small.

"Ep ep ep, no ya don't. Thank you for everything you do for me, big preesh for crashing the ball, all that Jazz. I really appreciate having you as a friend. And speaking of which, go make me some nachos!" After a moment to gather his wits, Marco smiled at her and started walking towards the door when he turned back. "Do you wanna help? I was promised nachos and telenovelas."

Star beamed him a smile and skipped to the door, both of them heading for the kitchen. Neither she nor Marco noticed the Icy Blue Moon hanging in the night sky above, or the slight glow between their cheeks during their kiss. Not that it mattered. There were nachos to be made, and cheesy sitcoms to laugh at.

"No, Star, don't blast the cheese!"

"I got it, Diaz, we're gonna have SUPER NACHOS!"

"That is not how you make nachos and you know it!"

"Fine! Then I'll just LASER THEM!"

"NO!"