"Happy Birthday on your birthday day!" Star sang aloud for her friend through her interdimensional phone mirror. It was Princess Ponyheads birthday today and Star was eager to celebrate it as best she could, given the circumstances.
Princess Ponyhead had been sent away to St Olgas Reform school for wayward princesses by her father in hopes that she would become a model princess. Ponyhead seemed to be doing well, but Star could tell it was hard having to learn in the harsh environment of St. O's. But she was determined to make Ponyheads birthday a good one.
"Look Pony! I made you these super delicious Unicorn Ponyhead cupcakes!" Star beamed as she showed her bestie the fruit of her hard work. A full tray of cupcakes teeming with sugary delight and magical flavor that sent mini fireworks into the air. "Only the best for the best bestie a bestie could ask for!"
Ponyhead looked at the sugary treats and her eyes shined with delight. "Oh, my goodness girl!! Those look amazing-"*Ahem*." Um, I mean. A princess such as myself cannot partake in such confectionary delights. Please donate them to the starving orphans of zarlak ten."
Star looked at her with speechless surprise. That didn't sound like Ponyhead at all. "Umm, did you bump your unihorn?" Ponyhead looked at Star with distress. Her eyes wide and her voice riddled with a warning. "Gurl you know we can't receive packages here at St O's!" Star looked at her with a disappointed frown. "But best besties don't let besties have a bad birthday day. If you were out here we'd go teacup riding on a rainbow. Slide down the jagged slopes of Zahla mountain. Then, dance all night long at the bounce lounge!"
Ponyhead allowed a smile to creep across her face at the thought of such a fun day with her best friend. "Oh. My. Goodness, girl that sounds like the best birthday ever!" Before Star could agree, there was the sound of a heavy wooden door creaking open, and Ponyheads face resembled a horse who had seen a ghost.
"Oh no! I expressed my emotions in a non-refrained way!! And that's my third strike!" A large pair of hands that resembled the ones of the three strangers at the bounce lounge came forward to grab Ponyhead. "Nooo!! THEY'RE GONNA TAKE ME TO THE MANDATORY CONFORMITY CHAMBER!!!"
She was dragged out of view and the video cut out, leaving Star with nothing hut the chilling words of her best friend. "Ponyhead! Nooo!!! You don't deserve this!!" She slumped to the floor, clutching at the now normally reflective mirror. Right as Star was about to cry out for her best friend, Marco walked into the room casually but stopped when he saw the cupcakes and the distraught teenager before him.
"Oh no. No No No. Not the prison break. I hated that enough the last time," he began, backing slowly towards the door. Star immediately stopped crying and looked at him. "Marcoooo, we have to save Ponyhead!!!" She clung to his hoodie and pulled him closer. "We're her only hope for having a good birthday!!"
She looked up at him with pleading eyes that would make a puppy cry. But to her surprise, he wasn't phased by it. "Star, I really don't want to go back there," he began, looking to his side to avoid her gaze.
A few seconds crept by, before he sighed indignantly, thinking of the future. "But we, kinda have to. So when we get there, do everything that makes sense to you okay?" She looked at him and nodded slowly at the new level of seriousness he displayed. Not that he wasn't known for being serious, just seriously over-reactive.
He furrowed his brow and looked at his clothes. Marco was comfortable with putting himself into sticky situations, as long as it was for a good cause. But he had to mentally prepare himself for the dress he'd be sporting, once again. There was also the matter of the headmistress to discuss, but that could wait. For now, he had to focus.
Taking a deep breath and helping Star up, he began to formulate a plan. "Okay so, we won't be able to use dimensional scissors to leave the school. They have a crystal in one of their towers that blocks portal usage both in and out. So we're going to have to sneak in with other students under the guise that we're late." Star nodded again, this time with an edge of seriousness all her own. She looked down at her wand and then back to Marco, a worried frown adorning her face.
"Are we gonna be able to pull this off again? I love Ponyhead, but I don't want to get stuck there." She flashed a look of genuine worry amidst her serious demeanor and Marco returned with one of his own. "Don't worry Star. If all else fails, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
He smiled genuinely at her and she beamed back at him. They were silent for a moment, looking at each other, taking in the reality of a real adventure with one another. But it was Marco who coughed before urging the conversation along.
"Well, we should um. Get moving. We don't have a large window after all," Marco said, trying to break the silence as blood rushed to his cheeks. Star nodded, taking a step back. "Yes, we should indeed get ready... Meet downstairs in five?" she asked through a smile adorned with beat red hearts. Marco gave her a warm smile and nodded.
He left her room and crossed the hallway to his own before closing the door behind him. After putting on a good pair of running shoes, he began gathering tools and equipment he figured he'd need, stuffing them into his trademark fanny pack. His dimensional scissors, a first aid kit, some snacks, and some rope were just a few of the items he brought along.
As he was packing his things, he thought about the kiss he shared with Star a few nights ago. In truth, he thought about it a lot in his free time, but he wasn't sure if it was right. He knew he had feelings for Star. And she seemed to be making it clear she felt the same way about him, but did he do the right thing? She seemed happy with his willingness to help, but he had promised not to intervene in her life.
He wanted Star to like him for her own reasons. Not because he was acting a specific way, or because he knew the future/past. I want her to like me genuinely. He thought to himself.
And why did the voice at the ball say this was the second time they danced? That shouldn't be possible if he went back in time. He remembered the icy blue color and the way Star looked at him when they had kissed. Maybe it was meant to be, this time. Or maybe it really was just his new actions. Before he could think about it any longer, a knock came to his door before it was rudely kicked open.
"Marco!! Cmon! We can't waste time! Ponyhead needs us!" Star yelled before grabbing his arm and pulling it towards the door. "Guess this was also meant to be" He cut open a portal in the hallway that shone a deep red and the two stepped through it, immediately being deposited on the tough gravel outside a menacing looking institution.
The walls were lined with barbed wire and they easily stood over 30 feet high. Tall, looming towers capped the corners of each wall and were also sporting a devilish barbed wire themselves. Each tower had a bright searchlight that wavered around the school grounds, constantly on the lookout for potential escapees. The main building stood larger and taller than any other building on the property and was made entirely out of stone.
Sitting in the wall closes to them was a large gate that spanned the height of the stone wall and stood wide open for a bus just outside, allowing newcomers to walk through. All of these new students, Marco recognized. Each princess had something special about them that made them different from the last.
One princess had four arms, one was a pixie type creature, another was a muscular golem, and another had two heads. All of them Marco remembered. He smiled, remembering how they accepted him when they found out he was a boy. They were so kind to him and even celebrated him more for being who he was. He missed memories like that. But now wasn't the time to reminisce. They had work to do.
He turned to his partner in crime and crouched low behind a rock. "Okay Star. Transform us into princesses and we can sneak in with the newbies."
"Okay. I have just the thing." She raised her wand and twirled it in the air before reciting the spell. "Radiant shadow transform!!" A burst of pink light engulfed star and transformed her horned headband into menacing spikes. Her simple dress was turned into a lacey, black get up that a mercenary would wear. Her boots grew some extra spikes and lastly, she got an eyepatch.
She punched the air a few times and admired her handiwork. Marco looked at her in awe for the second time and shook the lewd thoughts from his head. "Okay, now make me a princess. And yes, feel free to use pink." Star beamed at him and aimed her wand. "radiant shadow transform!" she whispered.
A wave of pink energy enveloped Marco and he was immediately transformed into a model princess. His hair now fell in a long ponytail down to his butt, and his signature outfit had been replaced with a large poofy dress made of bright pink fabric. Star smiled from cheek to cheek and eyed him with enthusiasm. "I gotta hand it to you, Marco. You make a pretty good princess."
He blushed and smiled at her, remembering just how many times he had donned this outfit. Her enthusiasm certainly helped ease his embarrassment. "Thanks, Star. Now let's get in there, but remember, no magic." The two made a dash for the bus once the two guards and the strange cagey man between them weren't paying attention. After nearly bumping into the small crowd, they stood quietly behind the two-headed princess, not saying a word.
The smaller man read off all but two princesses names. mainly because their names weren't on the list. He looked up with disdain at them and squinted his good eye. "And who might you two be? Your names aren't on the list." Marco felt Star tense next to him but he discreetly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. After taking a shaky breath, she calmed down and he spoke softly but with disdain. Like a pampered royal who was waiting for dinner.
"Of course our names aren't on the list, you boob! We recently were apprehended for sign up. As fitting for a wayward princess, we were late. Now get on with your job already!" Star squeezed Marcos hand and suppressed a smile as they stepped forward to join the other princesses.
The small man stood before the group and did a slight bow before formally introducing himself as Gemini. Which in itself was quite funny due to the fact that he had a large gem, lodged in his one good eye.
He gestured to the large school behind him and smiled genuinely as he continued. "Now then, you are all welcome to be reformed at the hands of miss heinous. I will show you to the rotunda for orientation, then you will be taken to your rooms." Gemini led the group of girls in through the large rusted gate and through the main buildings large front doors. The interior of the building was just as intimidating as the exterior.
Massive columns stood around the rounded room, capped high in the air by a large dome. It smelled like mildew and stone, but there was also a hint of oolong tea in the air. The few lights that shone down, revealed a lone figure standing in the center of the large room, flanked by several guards.
"I am Miss Heinous, your headmistress for as long as you're here." The figure said. stepping forward, the students got a better look at her. An older woman with fluffy white hair and a poofy dress that resembled something Marco noted an evil stepmother would wear. Gemini lined the students up and awaited further instruction.
"Welcome, you reclamation projects." She spoke coldly. Like she hated and loved every single student in the room with every fiber of her being. "You are here because you are unruly. Loud. Impolite. And nothing like a real princess should be." She paced back and forth in front of the students but stopped to glare at Star in particular. Star began trembling but was surprised to once again feel Marcos' hand squeeze hers. She breathed heavily but settled, squeezing his hand back. "That's my safe kid," The voice in her head purred
Miss Heinous glared at the girls somewhat goofy expression, but decided to ignore it, opting to proceed. "These walls will teach you how to be a true princess, don't you worry. And don't even think about some rudimentary escape. Our schools Tramorfidian Crystal tower prevents any portal from sustaining itself in or around these school walls. So you might as well give up the scissors you smuggled in."
Several students held up their smuggled dimensional scissors and dropped them at their feet. Star looked worried, but Marco held steadfast as he looked at her with determination and nodded.
"Now then. I'm going to be honest with you. My goal here is not to carefully train delicate flowers to be princesses. My goal here is to force wild young girls to be perfect. Now go. We have much to cover, in due time." She waved her hand and excused herself from the room. Followed by several of the guards.
Marco frowned and eyed her as she began walking away, remembering just how evil that woman truly was. He looked around the room slowly and waited.
Gemini once again stepped forward and held out his arm, gesturing down one of the many hallways of the room. "Alright then, students. Let us begin the sign in process. This way single file!" Gemini barked.
The princesses began trudging along with him, but Marco had other ideas. He cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled: "The first one to sign in gets her own room!" All of the princesses, to include Star, began rushing after Gemini. But Marco grabbed Stars hand and pulled her back as guards began chasing the crazed pack of princesses.
He began backing away with her slowly, keeping an eye on the distancing crowd. "Cmon. We have to go find Ponyhead. She'll be this way." Marco led Star down a side corridor from the main room and past multiple adjacent corridors. He remembered it was this way towards the dormitories, and from there, an exit. The winding hallways didn't have many doors, given that the princesses were allowed luxurious rooms. A stark opposite to the rest of the schools harrowing and dark demeanor, Marco noted.
The two ran down the final hallway and stopped at the second to last door. They peered through the bars that made up the top and saw a familiar horse head floating by the window. Marco felt a wave of relief in the back of his head, seemingly out of nowhere, before trying to pick the lock like Janna had shown him some time ago.
Star beamed a smile at the door and jumped up and down while peering through. "Ponyhead! We're here to rescue you!" She yelled through the bars as marco picked the lock. With a satisfying click, the door opened and the two rushed in. They stopped just shy of their target, staring at the sight before them.
Ponyhead slowly turned around to face them. "I'm dreadfully sorry my good lady, but I do not require such extensive actions on my behalf. Please see yourself out. Thank you." Star looked at ponyhead in horror and saw that her bestie was gone. In her place was a hollow shell of proper manners and a cookie cutter smile. Her mane was braided and she wore enough makeup to make a school play jealous.
"Nonononono Ponyhead, we have to get you out of here. C'mon girl snap out of it!" Star shook Ponyhead violently but Marco put a hand on her shoulder. "She's going to be fine, Star. For now, we just need to get out of here." He pulled the two with him out of the room, gesturing at a makeshift decoy made of a water jug and some rope.
When they took off running, Marco turned to Star and spoke with determination. "That will keep them busy for a while. You need to get to the laundry chute while I hold off heinous." As if on cue, alarms began blaring and the sound of shouting and footsteps could be heard down the hall behind them.
They ran down another long corridor that led down more winding corridors. Marco noted that this schools hallway system needed to seriously be updated. As they passed various classrooms, Star and Marco noticed different degrees of teaching going on in each one. One classroom was full of students standing absolutely still with books stacked atop their head. To teach them proper posture and standing like a lady. Another classroom was full of students being forced to repeat a line while practicing tea drinking etiquette. As they ducked inside it, Marco felt a slight sense of dread in the back of his head and shuddered.
Star looked mortified by the sight and muttered, "This is worse than my worst nightmare." Marco wasted no time in hiding at the center of the room behind a table as guards flooded in, searching for them. "We're gonna be fine. We just need to create a diversion. Stay here." Star nodded and Marco climbed atop a table.
Clinking a teacup, he attracted everyones attention and stood still with the guards eying him blankly. "Hey! It's not criminal! To be an individual!" He threw a teacup at one of the guards, who flinched slightly and eyed his now ruined uniform. Marco kept chanting the phrase he remembered from last time as more and more princesses joined in. "It's not criminal! To be an individual! It's not criminal! To be an individual!"
Dozens of students began throwing their china at the guards, who began to flee from the incoming hail of ceramic goods. Marco jumped from the table and grabbed Stars wrist, pulling her and Ponyhead through the exit and down the dark hallway outside the classroom. Star allowed a smile to form on her lips as she ran, glancing at her close friends. "That was pretty easy," she laughed. Ponyhead giggled at the thought. "Those boys sure got a whollop!"
Star beamed at Ponyhead and held her higher. "She's laughing! At an authority figure! The real Ponyhead is still in there!" Marco smiled as the two kept running, careful to avoid any passing guards. "She's gonna be fine. We just need to keep moving. If we can get to the laundry chute we can make this work." They ran past a hallway full of inactive guards, who were just beginning to come to life due to an order put out for their capture.
Star was about to run headstrong to a doorway at the end of the hallway they were running in, but marco pulled her back. "Not there, lots of guards, this was is safer!" He yanked the two down a new hallway just as some extra guard began pouring from the doorway. The two sprinted as fast as they could down the long and blank hallway before running into a large, open ballroom.
The three stopped near the middle and drank in the intricate sights around them. "Woah!" Star breathed. "What is this place?" The ceiling of the massive room was adorned with a huge breathtaking piece of art. It depicted multiple flying monsters carrying weapons before a foreboding background, around a small skylight in the middle. Marco looked around and whispered: "I don't know... I never really stuck around to check this place out."
The floor of the ballroom depicted another piece of artwork, though this one chilled Marco, having never noticed it before.
It depicted a large crescent moon, surrounding two emblems. One of which was an intricate burning sun and the other was a star encompassed by a circle. Marco stared at the two designs surrounded by the moon and then shook his head. "No way its a prophecy. It must mean something else." he thought to himself.
He heard the distant sound of guards shouting and rushing closer and started to push Star along. "We need to hurry before-"
"Leaving so soon, Princess? You really should stay a while longer." All three teens turned to face the person speaking, though they already knew who it was. It was Miss heinous herself, flanked by six guards as more began rushing through the doors around them. She flashed a smug smirk at them before continuing. "My dear, sweet child, we have much to discuss as it turns out. Such as why you're in the company of miss Star Butterfly."
"I agree. But I must insist that these two be excused." He stepped between the bulk of the guards and Star, drawing his blades and allowing them to grow into large daggers. Heinous Stared at him and snapped her fingers. Several guards behind Star rushed forward from the hallway she intended to go down. But instead of apprehending her, they simply ran past right for marco.
"Star! Run!" Marco yelled as he brought down his blades into the first guards head then used them as leverage to throw it into another group of guards. They collided, sending bolts and oil flying. Star turned heel and started running away with Ponyhead before looking back for a moment. "Destroy them all Marco. Make them pay for this horror house!"
He smiled wholeheartedly and sent a hard kick into another guard before slicing his ally in half. He swung both swords wide and caught another guard in the neck. Heinous watched this in shock before grabbing Geminis collar, dragging him towards another open hallway. "Come now. It's time we unleashed the failsafe." Marco watched out of the corner of his eye as the two ran far down the long hallway. He spun a kick straight into a guards chest and sighed. "I was supposed to be captured. Oh well. Once I'm done here we can regroup and then take the school."
He watched as the last guard ran up to him, and simply spin kicked the poor fool into the wall. These guys aren't meant for lethal fighting. They're just here to contain the princesses. He looked down the hall that Star had gone down and rushed to join her.
He ran past two guards emerging from a room, cutting them both clean in half. After rounding a corner, he found a dead end, with a small brass door mounted in the middle of the wall. Putting his scissors away, he dove headfirst through the small entrance.
Barrelling down the chute, he found that Star had already succeeded in bringing Ponyhead back. As well as an assortment of broken furniture and laundry as well.
Star put an arm around Ponyhead and hugged her bestie close. "Marco look! She's okay! She just needed to be shown how to have a little fun." Star beamed at him and he smiled back. "Well, Ponyhead, are you ready to take this place down?" She gave him a sly smile and breathed deeply. " I am so ready to make this place crumble, Diaz. By the way, that dress looks so pretty on you! Star, you dressed him up right."
Marcos' cheeks turned a shade of pink to match as he glared at the two, taking off his dress, revealing his signature jeans and hoodie. He thought about how the princesses accepted him when they realized he was a boy, but he was certainly going to miss being the one and only Princess Turdina. He smiled and knelt next to Star and Ponyhead, formulating a plan.
"Okay, so we have one shot to rally the school forces. We need to lead a revolt, and take over the grounds so we can take out the crystal tower that's keeping us here." Ponyhead furrowed her brows and Star gripped her wand. "Okay, so like, how do we do that, dude?" Ponyhead glared around her. "We're kinda stuck in the laundry room right now."
Marco looked at the door and then back at the two girls, pushing his afternoon with Sir Lavabo out of his mind. "We're going to need to get them out of their rooms, and we need to keep the guards busy while Star takes out the crystal." He began drawing on the wall with the blade of his scissors. "We go down these hallways to bring the princesses outside. Ponyhead and I will neutralize guards as they come for us. Star, you need to take out as many guards as you can and lead them to the courtyard so we can ambush them and give them the boot. Once the tower is down, I'll make a portal and we can escape."
Marco felt a ping of jealousy as Star looked at him and frowned. "Why do I have to go alone?" He put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, His own showing a steadfast determination she wasnt used to from him. "Because you're the strongest person on our team. And I know I can trust you to handle this alone just this once." He smiled at her and held her hands, feeling a wave of serenity wash over him. "I'll come running straight for you if anything happens. Don't be afraid." She let the tension drop from her shoulders and she breathed deeply.
Her whole life, she had never been afraid of anything. She was a warrior princess and could easily take down twenty men in minutes. She could wield weapons that could mow down armies. But for some reason, this school alone scared her more than anything else. She was rocked from her thoughts be Marcos soothing, calm voice. "I know you're scared, but we need to get these girls out of here. Okay?"
"Okay, Marco. Thank you for helping me today," she answered. Ponyhead stared at the two and floated near the door, snorting in protest. "Can you two drop the googly eyes for a minute while we get this done? I'm tryna leave this place like ASAP." Star and Marco blushed and released each other's hands before walking to the door. Star gripped her wand and readied herself while Marco split his blades apart, allowing them to grow.
They slowly opened the door and stepped out. Not a guard in sight. Marco thought to himself. "Star, you go right and attack anything that moves. Ponyhead, be ready to direct all the princess after I cut the locks on their doors. If they don't want to join us, Persuade them." She grinned. "No problem, Earth Princess."
Star looked down the hallway and was about to move before a trickle of unease flowed through her mind, and a soft voice spoke behind her. "And Star, take this with you." She turned around and Marco placed a kiss gently on her lips before pulling back and smiling. With a blush on his face, he ran down the hallway with ponyhead, briefly turning back to yell "Don't worry! I'll see you after this is over!" She blushed hard, her cheek marks nearly bursting before she took off down the hallway in the opposite direction."Oh, I'll make sure to get you back for that, Macho man."
O - O - O - O - O - O
Star ran quickly down the hallway, tailed by several guards. She turned around on her heels and narwhal blasted them into pieces before glancing around and continuing her run. "Last time I get told to go do cleanup duty by myself," she thought angrily. Coming up to a large wooden door with the word 'Headmistress' printed in bold letters at the top, she looked down and breathed heavily before slowly pushing it open.
But to her surprise, the office was empty. It was dark and littered with filing cabinets and papers, but not a single school worker. A single monitor buzzed and illuminated on the desk and Star almost blasted it in surprise. A familiar, smug voice was heard over the speakers in the office. "Hello princess. So nice of you to lead a revolt in my school. And to lead a fruitless effort by yourself."
Stars eyes narrowed at the monitor and she let her wand lower. "What do you mean fruitless?" Miss Heinous only smiled and the screen changed from a video of her to the real-time footage from the depths of the building. In the middle of a dark room, sat a monster the size of a school bus if placed on its end. It was clad in minimal armor plating, and a helm on its head made of bones. Its eyes glowed deep red and it stood slowly, arming itself with a mace before it began marching out of its massive door. She could almost feel its thundering steps from here.
"You see, princess, you aren't the only one teamed up with a killing machine. Let's see how this goes for your little hero." The monitor went black and Star felt like the world had just punched her in the gut. Her heart sank and she felt breathless, but she bolted out of the room for the courtyard. Along the way, she saw multiple open doors to dormitories and not a princess in sight. "You better hurry. I'd hate to lose my best friend to that old hag and her guard dog," the voice commanded.
Star slowed and for once, thought back at the voice in her head. It always sounded like her own thoughts but this time, it sounded angry. "I'll warn him in time. Just shut up and let me do what I need to." There was no reply and she huffed loudly before running faster down the hallway. "If she hurts him. She's going to die."
O - O - O - O - O - O
Marco sliced through the last lock and turned back to see ponyhead leading every single student behind him. They were all chanting his catchphrase and every time he sent a guard through a wall, they cheered and looted what was left of it, some princesses even opting to wear pieces of it like jewelry.
Marco turned around and marched forward down the hall, when he passed by a familiar room near the entrance of the school. He stopped cold in his tracks and looked at the door.
The princesses behind him stopped and found that they too, couldn't look at anything but the ominous metal door with the words 'Conformity Chamber' etched in the top. He took an angry step closer to the door and used his scissor blades to slice through the lock. The pieces fell to the floor and he slowly pushed open the large metal doorway.
It creaked open like a century-old safe. He made his way slowly to the center of the room and all eyes fell on the restraining chair at the center of the room. Marco breathed a heavy breath and raised his blades. "No one else is going to suffer at the hands of this school!" He hacked apart the chair as various other princesses from all walks of life shared in his anger, destroying all other pieces of equipment in the control room.
He stepped back from his handiwork as Princess Arms approached him, speaking just above the noise around them. "You seem to know a lot about this place," she began. "But only girls are allowed here, so what's your story?" He sat down on the cold floor, looking down at his feet. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Arms sat down next to him as the looting and chaos continued. "Try me. I'm a princess with four arms and I'm from another dimension." Marco smiled half-heartedly and spoke with grandeur. "I'm actually from four years in the future. I woke up a while ago in my old bed and my best friend had no idea who I was. We liberated you all a long time ago, and now we're doing it again."
As he finished, Arms looked surprisingly, well. Unsurprised. "Sounds wild, man. So Ponyhead's your best friend huh?" Marcos face turned sour with disbelief, before he worked out why she guessed that. He held up his hands dismissively and tried his best not to snort. "No no no. Ponyhead is NOT my best friend from the future. That title goes to Star Butterfly."
Princess Arms' eyes widened before mouthing shut...up at him. "That explains a lot more. Magic, prison breaks, time travel. Girls got some crazy biz going for her." Marco smiled and stood carefully, helping Arms to her feet. "Yeah, shes really something. I'll say that. But we're a team. And I'm glad We work well together like we do."
Arms nodded and looked around. "Well, just in case we haven't said it enough, thanks again for deciding to free us...again." Marco smiled at her and held out a hand cordially before kneeling before her. "Happy to be of service to you... Princess...?"
"Patty. Princess Patty Arms. And thank you...?"
"Marco Diaz. Of Earth."
She chuckled before helping him to his feet, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Marco." He blushed before turning to the rest of the crazed royalty, clanging his blades together once to get their attention.
The princesses stared at him as he raised his fist in the air. "It will never be criminal, to be an individual! No longer will you be forced to abandon who you are! You can live happy knowing you're living the life you choose!"
They cheered and repeated his signature phrase, ensuring even more chaos in the room. Marching out the door, they made their way towards the main entrance to the school. "IT'S NOT CRIMINAL. TO BE AN INDIV-" They all suddenly stopped as a rumble shook the entire school. Streaks of dust fell from the ceiling as Marco looked around confused.
He readied his blades and motioned for the group to follow. "Cmon! We have to get outside! NOW!" They rushed forward and burst through the massive wooden doors of the entrance, everyone piling outside and joining Marco in gawking at the scene strewn before them. Dozens of guards and parts were strewn about the grounds. Massive craters with smaller holes peppered around their inside. Patty spoke up first, her voice shaky and timid. "What on Mewni happened here?"
They got their answer as a large rumble shook the ground beneath them and a monster at least four stories tall stepped out from around the corner. It carried a mace that could fill a small pool, and to Marcos horror, he could see bits and pieces of guard still stuck between its spikes.
"Everyone get back. Ponyhead, go find Star. I'll keep it busy." Before she could protest, he rushed forward and began yelling at the beast to get its attention. "Cmon, ugly! Let's see what you can do!" He swiped a blade at the monsters ankle and dodged a sailing foot that could have derailed a train. He brought up both blades and jutted them forward as he dodged a massive looming fist that barrelled by him. His blades barely pierced the beast's skin, but it was enough to make it jump back, shaking the ground violently.
Before Marco could think of what to do next, he immediately held both blades up in defense as the giant mace grazed by him. Its spikes were the size of traffic cones and barely tore through the left side of his clothes. He ripped off his left leave and jumped back to avoid a fist that slammed into the ground as a sudden beam of light shot over his shoulder and burst against the creature's wrist.
It howled in pain and stepped back as Star ran up to Marco. "Sorry, I'm late. What's the plan, Marco?" He gripped the blades and breathed for a moment before turning to her. "I hate to send you away so soon, but I need you to take out the crystal tower. It's the only thing keeping me from taking this guy out. and we won't have a chance to escape while it's still up.
She nodded and looked at his tattered clothes. "Be careful, Marco. And give him hell for me." After a quick hug, she rushed off towards the eastern wall of the school grounds. She could see the tower from where she ran, and the beautiful rays of light that the crystal was emitting almost made her sorry to destroy it.
She slid to a stop near the base of the tower. It was going to take every bit of firepower she had to bring it down. She drew a deep breath and lifted her wand, allowing the power it held within to radiate a bright pink light. She grabbed a solid piece of magic at the back of it and pulled, drawing pink energy backward like an archer. It cackled and shot sparks as she aimed it for the tower.
After a few seconds of silence, she released the breath she had been holding and with it, the magical arrow. It shot forward from her wand like a bolt of lightning, sizzling through the air before striking the top of the tower. It boomed and shook the school as the tower ruptured from the top, sending streaks of pink energy shooting in all directions. Star stepped back to avoid the crumbling stone and nodded at her handiwork.
She turned around to head back to Marco but met eyes with Miss Heinous herself, standing in rage with a good amount of dirt on her cheeks. She looked downright murderous and glared at Star as she spoke. "I must commend you, princess. You have really succeeded in ruining this entire school! Without me, you will NEVER, be a real princess, and you will ALWAYS be a failure! I could have made you perfect! I could have-" she was cut off by a lasso of magical energy that wrapped around her waist. Star glared at the ground and slowly brought her eyes up to meet Heinous'.
"I never needed you to turn me into something I'm not. And in the eyes of the people I care about, I'm already perfect." She threw her hand up and launched Heinous into the air, sending her flying over the wall and likely to her death. Star started running back to the battle, shaking off the anger storming inside of her.
O - O - O - O - O - O
Marco was giving it his all but even he was running out of energy. He dodged another swipe of the mace and barely missed getting kicked across the school grounds. Star ran up behind him and shot a narwhal blast that sent the beast back a couple of steps. "Marco, crystals down. Let's get out of here!" He breathed hard and Star noticed some new cuts and bruises. "Cant. If we tried huddling everyone into a portal, he'd attack us before we get the chance. We have to take him out."
At Stars acknowledgment, he furrowed his brow and swiped through the air, creating an orange portal. "I'll keep him busy, and you hit him hard." Marco dove through and appeared above the beast, falling fast and hard downward and driving both blades into its shoulder. It bellowed louder than ever and stomped so hard into the ground, it cracked. Star saw her chance and fired an explosive cupcake at its chest. The blast sent it back several more steps and gave Marco the opening he needed.
He jumped from the beast's shoulder and fell freely down towards its legs. Marco cut through the air and fell through the portal, only to be sent shooting out of another one in front of the monster. He brought up both blades and sliced across its chest. It roared in anger and tried to swat Marco out of the air, but Star used her magic to pull him back to the ground. "Watch out!" Marco yelled, pushing them both aside as the 2-ton mace drove right into the ground where they had just been standing.
Marco brought up his blades and drove them deep into the beasts fist as it landed next to him. Black blood oozed from its wounds as Star jumped back. She was about to fire a round of narwhals at it but it charged to the right and sent its mace right for Marco. He brought up his blades and could only catch the strike. Metal met metal and Marco shot back through the air. He clipped a stone pillar and crashed into the ground with a sickening thud.
Stars eyes went wide as she stared at him. "MARCO!" she screamed. She glared at the gloating beast and her cheek marks turned a cold sea blue. Her pupils glowed a deep Indigo, and her wand radiated with the same color magic. She hovered a few feet above the dirt and she spoke loudly, eerily in two voices.
"I SUMMON THE POWER TO MAKE THE EARTH SHAKE.
TO PROTECT AN ALLY YOU SHALL NOT TAKE.
FEEL OUR STRENGTH IN YOUR DYING HOUR,
BE CAST ASIDE BY OUR SOUL CRUSHING POWER!"
As she recited the spell, an orb of solid blue light formed around her wands gem. The moment she finished, it shot forth like a rocket, slamming into the monster's chest. It pushed him back through the wall and stuck to him, sending it and all the debris surrounding, over a hundred yards back. Star glared with cold unfeeling eyes and snapped her finger.
A second later, a blinding flash enveloped the dark landscape. A massive BOOM shook the earth and a giant ball of blue fire radiated from where the monster was cast to. A wave of wind whipped the school as the ground slowly calmed. The light subsided and Star gently floated back to the ground. Her eyes and cheeks returned to normal as she quickly looked at Marco. All eyes were still glued to the massive smoking crater that housed no evidence of a monster, save for a charred mace.
She sprinted to Marco and he braced himself in the dirt. He winced in pain as she tackled him, feeling his ribs strain under the pressure.
"AH! Star! That hurts!"
"Ohmygod Im so sorry!"
She pulled away and eyed his wounds with a worried look. "I'm so sorry Marco, are you alright?" He breathed deeply and felt his side. "Yeah, I should be okay once I get my first aid kit. And a doctor maybe."
She hoisted him up and helped him over to the group of shocked princesses. He coughed for a moment while they walked, Star feeling a greater sense of worry in her mind. "What about you? Are you okay, Stae?" he asked tentatively. She nodded and smiled. "Luckily you took most of the hits. Good thing you're stronger than you look."
"Indeed," Patty spoke softly. "Or we might not be standing here. We owe you both our lives." Star smiled and Marco held up his scissors with a crooked smile of his own. "Well, whenever you're ready to go, let us know! We'll be happy to take you back to your homes," he croaked. But his smile wavered when he saw Patty frown. "We've actually decided to stay here. We can make this a school for princesses who want to embrace who they are." Marco smiled and the princesses all bowed respectively.
"Thank you, Princess Turdina. We are grateful for our new chance to start fresh. And to really become who we were meant to be. Thank you...Marco." He blushed and Star began pulling him away. "Alright, Diaz. Let's get you home and fixed up."
Before they could open a portal, Ponyhead shot out from the crowd. "Oh no! I'm not staying at this whacked out school. Yall can drop me off at my place." She hovered near them as Star huffed and pulled out the dimensional scissors, opening a portal to cloud kingdom.
"Well, goodbye, B-Fly. Thanks for a wild birthday. I hate to ditch you guys, but I really just wanna sleep for a while." She did as best she could to hug Star, being a floating head and all. She eyed Marco and smiled slyly. "Keep an eye on him, Star. Cuz if you don't, I know somebody who will." Marco and Star both blushed profusely before closing the portal.
"Well, that was something," Patty exclaimed, earning agreement from her fellow royals. "Goodluck on your journies, Marco Diaz of Earth. And good luck to you, Star butterfly." The two Earthbound teens nodded and waved goodbye to the remaining princesses before Star cut another portal through the air. This one being sky blue.
With one final goodbye from the group of newly liberated princesses, they walked through the portal and entered Stars bedroom. Marco leaned on his good leg and looked around cautiously before sighing. "Well, that went pretty well. I'm gonna go clean up and get some sleep. Good job Sta-"
"No, you dont, mister."
He blinked hard for a moment, looking at the princess staring at him. "What?" He asked softly. What was she upset about? Star glared at him before grabbing his pack and pulling out the first aid kit. "You're not doing anything. 'Nurse Star' will help you get better this time."
"Okay. But NO oggling."
"What's that supposed to mean? I can look!"
"Star!"
"Ugh! Fiiiiine!"
She helped Marco to the bathroom and opened his first aid kit for him. As she began preparing fresh bandages and disinfectant, Marco took off what remained of his shirt and hoodie, throwing them into the trash and grumbling about how he was only down to eleven hoodies. His abs were beginning to show and his chest heaved with each breath. Stars eyes went wide and her pupils clearly began to dilate."Good merciful sun...Those weren't there before," the voice in her head purred. She let her cheeks turn cherry red before shaking the thoughts from her mind and focusing.
Marco noticed her staring, but decided it best to let it slide just once. He had lost track of who owed who at this point. "Star, how did you use that spell against the monster? I've never seen anything like that." She looked him over while cleaning his wounds and shrugged. "I dunno. It just sort of popped into my head and I used it. I've never heard of that spell either." She wrapped his shoulder in bandages and thought about the unrivaled power she used to decimate the beast after it almost killed Marco.
"Well, you really saved my butt, Star. Thank you." She smiled but her cheerful expression fell through, as he felt a hum of disappointment in his head. "Marco?" she asked tentatively, with a voice of worry and concern. "Do you think, I'm a good princess?" He looked up at her and smiled. "You're perfect, Star. Don't worry about being good or bad. As long as you do things your way, you can't be anything less than the greatest princess in the universe."
He remembered her crisis from long ago where she worried about being a good queen. That burden nearly sent her over the wall with worry. But now, she smiled genuinely and wiped a few hidden tears from her eyes. "Thanks, Marco. I Appreciate it."
He stood slowly, eying his new scars and bandages all over his upper body. "Don't worry about it. You're the best princess I know." She frowned a little and spoke softly. "I'm sorry I keep getting you dragged into fights where you get hurt." She sniffed softly and wiped her eyes. "Good friends don't let their friends get hurt."
He smiled warmly, which Star strangely found almost intoxicating. "I do what I do because I love being your best friend. I wouldn't trade that for anything. And I'd rather die than abandon you in a fight." He hugged her, though she noticed him tense when she squeezed him. Her smile and warm embrace were all it took to tell Marco she was feeling better.
"Well, I need to go lie down. I'll see you tomorrow for whatever crazy adventure lies ahead of us" She nodded and the two made their way out of the bathroom. Marco began walking towards his room when Star spoke softly behind him. "Hey, don't forget about this," she said quietly. He turned around and was met with a pair of sapphire blue eyes and a wide smile that kissed him gently. She held his hands at her sides and enjoyed the sweet euphoria that was this moment. She drank in his smell and squeezed his hands. Paradise on earth.
They parted lips and Star grinned before skipping happily to her room. "Night, Diaz! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Marco chuckled, his cheeks a crimson red and his heart pounding in his ears. He was so glad to have met Star. She brought so much out of him and he loved her always winning attitude. He smiled to himself as he walked to his room to get some much-needed rest at the end of a very long, and very surprising day.
_
AUTHORS NOTE
Okay so, huge chapter. Almost nine thousand words. I had to redo half of it due to a failure in the drive save. But it came out much better. Hopefully, yall don't mind all the sap here and there. Leave a review and ill try to get back to you!
Buh Byyee!!
~Mr. Ronald Reagan