M

Marco rode on the back of Stars horse for what felt like a lifetime. She, in truth, had fallen asleep against his chest so it fell to him to try and keep the horse in check. Without so much as a blanket to sit on, it was largely an uncomfortable journey, but he found that when a princess falls asleep against you, you dont complain.

Luitenant John Grenor, or just John, had kept them going for about seven hours by now, with a day and a half left of riding to go. The main caravan of the train had split off three hours in, as the supplies were needed elsewhere, but he had promised that they'd stop for the night in a few hours. Marco was finding it difficult to stay awake and tried to keep himself occupied.

He rode up alongside John and kept a similar speed with him, quite proud of his equine handling, as he looked over at him and asked courteously, "So how long have you been in the military?" John kept his eyes trained forward and spoke in an impatient, but understanding tone. "I've been in for seven years. My father made me join when I turned eighteen."

Marco pawed that over for a moment before smiling at him. "So that means you were just ten years old when we fought Machinor with your father, right?" John eased his expression, but still maintained a hollow tone in his voice. "Yes. I was little during the battle but I heard all about it. What you two did, what youre capable of. My father would talk about it all the time, saying he had met the gods themselves."

This made Marco uneasy, but he tried to continue the conversation. "I wouldn't go that far. Your father was very brave during that battle. We didn't have a clue what we were in for, but he held strong and fought with us anyway."

John actually smiled at that, but it seemed fake. Like he had rehearsed it before and didn't believe his own expression in the slightest. "I never got to know my father growing up. He was always out saving the kingdom. But, Im always proud when I hear what kind of a man he is. Though, it holds more stock hearing it from you. You single-handedly defeated the most powerful monster in the world, yet you still brag about my dad."

"Well, I wouldn't say single-handedly. My friend Star helped a lot," Marco said modestly. John took a glance at the snoring woman laid back against Marco and raised an eyebrow. But the warrior before him just laughed it off. "She doesn't look too scary, but shes got power. Power like I never imagined. Were a team so I never doubted we could do it."

John moved his gaze back to the road before him and thought for a moment. "What are you. Really. Are you actually just people?" Marco chuckled but waved off the question. "Were not gods or anything. There's a lot of universe out there your world might come to see. Maybe I'll show you sometime." John looked up at the afternoon sky and grinned before shaking his head.

"Maybe someday. For now, my kingdom needs me. Like it needed my father. But thank you, Marco Diaz." Marco looked at him and gestured to the forest around them. "What's been going on since we've been gone? We kinda left in a hurry."

John shrugged with a smile. "Really not that much. After Machinor was defeated, supernatural occurrences have plummeted, and this side of the country began to slowly heal from his curse. There's still the usual dragons and badland warlords to deal with and were at war with the northern nation of Dewjah. But its gone down considerably."

Marco nodded as he took in the information and looked ahead. "Seems like not a lot has changed. Though, I wasnt expecting a war to break out. You'll have to tell me about it later." John shook his head and resumed his impatient expression. "You'll have to ask my father. I haven't seen a battle yet thanks to him putting me on the southern border faction and retiring."

"Ouch," Marco whispered. "Though maybe it's not a bad thing. He's probably just trying to keep you safe." John turned to face Marco and seemed genuinely curious. " That makes no sense," he muttered. "I'd rather be trusted with my own life than kept tucked out of harm's way forever."

Marco exhaled slowly as he glanced down at Star, then back to John. "Youll understand when you have to look out for someone you care about. It's not easy, making decisions for them, but sometimes it's your only option."

John rolled his eyes before taking out a map and checking it. "You sound just like him," he muttered. Marco shrugged and took another uneasy glance at Star. "The hardest choices we make aren't for us. They're for the people you look after."

"Well, Im very sure that you and my father can talk all about it when we arrive. Im sure he and the entire kingdom will be excited about your return," John stated, though he refused to meet Marcos gaze.

There were a few minutes of silence before he spoke again, this time with a softer tone. "I will say this, however. If not for you, my father wouldn't have come home when he did. And Im doubtful we would even have a world to live in. I didn't think I'd get the chance to show my gratitude, but thank you. Both of you."

"It was our pleasure. Sorta. We like coming to your world and being free from ours." Marco felt a sharp pain in his legs and winced, drawing a look from John. "Do you think we could stop for the day? Im kinda losing the feeling in my legs. We dont really use horses where I'm from. Mostly portals, for long distances." John sighed before eying the map again. "We should be fine to stop here. I must ask, however. For what reason can we not just portal to the village my father is at?"

Marco took an uneasy breath and checked to make sure that his other half was still asleep. "We could portal there easily, but I'm hoping this gives her a chance to de-stress from the, issues, back home. I hate riding horses but she loves it. And it's peaceful out here. One of those 'Hard choices' I mentioned."

John nodded in acceptance, though he wasnt pleased to unnecessarily have to go on a two-day journey to his parent's house. Marco poked Star in the ribs, making her yelp as she jumped awake.

"What the hell, Marco?" She hissed. He simply smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "John says we can stop for the day here to rest. Figured I should wake you up." "But why poke me?! A tap would work ya know!" "But I had to be sure, Star! I couldn't just take a chance, what if you were tired and we got attacked?" "That's stupid! There's nothing out here we can't handle!"

Marco smiled at her. "Well, what if-" "Ahem." John stepped off his horse and cleared his throat, clearly amused by their mock argument. "We should set up camp if we want to be ready by nightfal. Rains coming, too." Star glared at Marco before the two jumped from their horse. She eyes John mischievously before readying her wand.

"SPARKLE GLITTER BOMB EXPAND!" She yelled as she thrust her wand forward, creating a small log cabin just off the road. Johns jaw dropped open as he gaped at the newly created home. "What?! How-? There's a-? How??" he demanded. Star simply strolled over to it and blew on her wand sarcastically.

"Trick of the trade, my man. Magiiiiiic," she whispered. Marco shrugged at the bewildered John before stepping into the log cabin after Star. John walked in after them and had to take a moment to catch his breath. The interior was completely furnished and lit by illuminated hanging balls of glass he didn't recognize.

"If its all the same with you, I'll leave you both to it. If we leave by sunrise we should make it there by nightfall." Star investigated the fully stocked kitchen before looking over her shoulder happily. "We dont need to rush. Not much of a vacation if we hurry through everything."

Marco nodded, but John clearly didn't share the same sentiment. "Im not a tour guide for your little holiday. I have important work to do, so the sooner we get there, the sooner I may return to it. Please get some shuteye, the both of you. We leave at dawn."

John marched out the door and began preparing his own tent outside as Marco sat at a table and rubbed his legs. "Dont worry about him, Star. We can take our time." She sighed before preparing some goblin dogs from the fridge. "Marco, can I be honest with you for a sec?"

He looked up at her curiously but nodded for her to continue. "Well," she began. " I didn't really want to come here because of things at home being too crazy." Marco leaned forward against the table and began undoing his shoulder armor. "What do you mean? I thought you needed a break from all the junk going on lately."

She slumped against the counter and eyed the extravagant room around her. " Last time, it was. I wanted to take a break and not be me for a while. I wanted to be someone who was free to make her own choices and live how she wanted. But when I got all of your Stars memories, I realized that I have so many more problems just waiting for me. That no matter what I do, things just keep going wrong. I wanted to escape from that. To be safe here with you for a while."

Marco stood up and gently placed his armor on the table before walking over to her. She hugged him dearly and the two spent a moment just enjoying the company of one another. "Star, its like I said when we left. Your problems won't go away just by running from them. They follow you wherever you go. But every time she and I faced a problem, we faced it together. And yeah, it can be really scary knowing what's going to happen, but that just helps you fight it. You'll always have my help and no matter where we go, we can fight it all together."

He punctuated that sentiment by kissing her softly. She returned it in kind and smiled against his face. "Well, at least let me enjoy some time here with you. There's no reason we have to go back and take on the world right this second." He smiled warmly at her, which warmed her heart, and kissed her forehead. "Alright. But, maybe we can portal up to Grenors tomorrow morning? Johns not too thrilled about being our tour guide. And hes got some craaaaaayzeeee daddy issues going on."

Star set two plates of goblin dogs down and the two began munching away. She looked up with a mouthful and gestured at him. "Dthoo thell," she asked. He whistled and smirked at her but before he could begin, she frantically waved her hands around. "Waitwaitwaitwait lemme guess. Ambitious son growing up in the shadow of his great father feels scorned because his dad wants the same life from him. But he wants to be a baker instead!"

Marco shook his head and smiled. "Not quite. He actually wants to be as great as Grenor, but Grenor won't let him fight in the war." Star nodded in agreement and held her chin. "So he feels rejected by his father and unable to prove himself?"

"Bingo," John muttered. Both Star and Marco turned to the door in surprise to see John standing soaked in the doorway. "I can hear everything you two are saying from outside. Even though the rain. I dont have daddy issues, just a stubborn father that doesn't trust me oh my gods I have daddy issues." He sighed and looked at the floor.

"Unfortunately the monsoon outside flooded my tent. I was going to ask if you could make me a small shack for shelter." All the color that had drained from Stars face a moment ago returned as she laughed her way outside to make a shack. Once she was gone, John looked at Marco and smiled. "You got a real spitfire there, Marco. And thanks for asking to use a portal."

"Dont mention it," Marco began. "I guess I wasnt exactly right about what she needed anyway." John shook his head and grinned at Marco as he spoke. "You have her best interest at heart. I wouldn't worry about it."

Star stepped back in and wrung the water from her hair. "House is built. And youre right. You really can hear everything out there. Crazy huh?" John grinned at marco before stepping towards the door. "Well, I will see you both, whenever we rise I suppose. With a portal, there's not much point in waking up at the crack of dawn. Goodnight. And thank you."

He stepped outside as Star dried her hair while eying Marco. "Hey," she began, "you know, I really do appreciate this. I needed it, and again, I'm really glad you came with me." Marco smiled at her for a moment, relishing in the cozy moment. "You know you ARE my favorite person in the universe. Of course I'd come with you."

She grinned and sat at the table to finish eating. "Well, you're pretty cool too. It's nice to have my eye candy around." She looked to the door and leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "So, whats our gameplan? I say we get back into mercenary work and start raking in some money. With our new status here, I doubt it would be that hard to get bigger jobs."

Marco held his chin as he thought before beaming a smile at her. "How about this. We spend a while making some money through contract work, then we buy some land and pull a Grenor. Just the two of us."

"Marco," she started, "That's something old married couples do. No offense, but I'd rather spend our time flexing our muscles a bit. Mostly yours, if ya know what I mean." Marco shook his head and smiled. "Alright, I'm game. But first things first. I say we meet with Grenor and get updated on the lay of the land. Then we can get moving."

Star nodded, pleased by the idea, before putting their plates away and heading towards the bed. "Well c'mon, Diaz. I know for a fact you're tired like crazy, and I could use some sleep." Marco raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively, maintaining a smile throughout his words.

"And you need me for that, why? I'm sure I could find another bed to-" He was cut off by a tendril of pink magic that lifted him from his seat and pulled him within inches of Star. Shock riddled his face as she spoke, her voice icy but loving. "It's cold, and I miss getting to share a bed with you. So you're going to cuddle with me all night and you're not going to complain about it."

She deposited him next to the bed and promptly changed into her nightgown. Marco stared at her with a grin for a moment before following suit. He wore the usual hide pajamas he got on their last visit and climbed into bed with his lover. She was sure to make a copy of the unusually comfortable fur blankets from the tent, and writhed her way under his arm.

He blushed for a moment as he pulled her closer, but sighed contentedly and kissed her forehead. She smiled up at him, but she had a faraway look in her eyes. He was about to close his eyes when she spoke softly. "Marco," Star began, "for what its worth, and given what I can remember, I'm sorry for what you had to go through when you came back to mewni." Marco looked at her and found her sapphire eyes staring up at him. "Why do you say that?"

She looked down, not meeting his gaze. "I remember treating you, pretty bad when you came back. You went through so much just to be with me again and I never apologized to you. I remember being so angry at you and holding such a grudge. So, I'm sorry for how I acted, and how I treated you. "

Marco held her chin to meet her blue eyes. "I was acting like a jerk for a while. And I wasn't treating you like my best friend. I honestly understand. You had every right to be upset with me, and I forgave you a long time ago. So, I'm sorry too." She kissed him softly and beamed a dreamy smile.

"Im happy I get to be with you now, though. You're the coolest guy I know." Marco stared at her for a moment and hugged her tight, overwhelmed by happiness with the woman in his arms. "Thank you, Star. Really. That means a lot." She kissed his nose and proceeded to lay against his chest.

"Welcome back to Vintal, miss Butterfly." She smiled against his chest and for a moment, felt a warm sense of happiness in the back of her head. "Goodnight, Marco. I love you."

"I love you too, Star," he finished, the two falling asleep in each others arms. The rain patted against the roof as the lights flicked off, ending their first day back as the most powerful beings on the planet.

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

The next morning, the group packed up their belongings, careful to only deconstruct Johns temporary shack, and shield the other from view. John was still completely amazed by Stars ability to use such powerful magic with ease, but this time, he kept it to himself. Once everything was cleaned up and the horses had been gathered, Marco looked to john expectantly. "Are you ready? It's a little surreal doing it the first time, but it's completely safe."

John nodded and readied his armor to look presentable. "Let's do this." Marco unsheathed his scissor blades, content with showing off a bit by letting blue flames dance along the edges. He punctured the space before him and proceeded to tear a rift in reality that glowed a fiery red.

John stared at it in amazement and tentatively held a hand up to it. It rippled slightly against his touch but he found no more resistance than dipping a hand into water. He pushed his arm through, then stepped through completely, followed by his horse. Marco and Star followed behind and took a look around at their new surroundings.

All around them were rolling golden fields, instead of towering trees. A simple farmhouse sat in the middle next to a wide oak tree and a large barn. John sighed and marched ahead of them, approaching the house at a quick pace. Marco turned to Star, who seemed wistfully captivated by her surroundings.

"Not such a bad idea anymore, is it?" He said jokingly. She glared at him and stuck out her tongue mockingly. "Maybe someday, Diaz. But not when you have a hot-blooded war-crazed princess by your side." He shrugged through a smile and the two began walking after John towards the farmhouse.

"Dad! Get out here! I've brought guests!" A deep, older voice called out from the barn. "And left your post? What for? Who could be-" Grenor stepped out of the barn, his hair grey with age, grown out to a full beard, and long in the back. His skin was copper from the sun and he looked more worn than the last time they had seen him. He stopped just outside and stared at the waving pair before him.

Star and Marco both smiled sheepishly at him as he slowly approached. His mouth hung open as he tried to find the words running through his mind. "Its... it's really you? You returned...so soon. I never thought I'd..." He stepped up to them and quickly wrapped his arms around them in a tight hug. "My word!! You returned!! And while I'm mostly still breathing, it's amazing!"

He took a step back to examine them as they looked around the property. "You haven't aged a day. I suppose it's not a far stretch to imagine that, given what you've done. How long has it been for you?" Star smiled and shrugged genuinely. "Its been about two weeks for us, give or take."

Grenor smiled and shook his head. "Aye, its been about fifteen years for us. I had to retire I'm afraid, but still kicking. When did you arrive?" John stepped forward and shook his father's hand before turning to face the two. "I believe they got here yesterday morning. I found them looking around the old military camp right when we were about to tear it down. They said they were looking for you, so I brought them here."

Marco held out his pair of scissors and gestured to the farm. "I didn't know where this place was but after looking at the map and thinking of you, I got pretty close." Grenor wagged his finger at them and began making his way inside. "Well truly, it is quite the honor to see you again. Come inside, I have much to tell you about how the world has changed. And I have some more family to introduce you to."

The four made their way inside and after meeting some of Johns siblings, Maxwell, Harold, Lucy, and Christine, and one of Grenors grandchildren, Samuel, sat at the kitchen table.

Grenor spread his arms wide and spoke with fervor to the two before him. "As I said, I already had some heirs in the making. None of this would be here if not for you both." Star shook her head and held up her hands. "Everyone did their part. Including you. We all did a great job saving the world."

"Well, it certainly warms my heart to hear you say that," he began. "But I have so much to tell you." Marco leaned forward and smiled. "Please, tell us everything."

To be continued in:

After Things Change

AUTHORS NOTE

Hey all! So, as you can see, Early update! I hope you all enjoyed it despite this original subarc being a little slow. I wanted to give the story a slight change of pace for a bit, and take a break from the usual episode listing. I love how it's going and hopefully, you do too. Drop a review if ya like, and I'll reply soon! Have a great day and um. Uhhh BUH BYYYEEE!!

~Mr. Ronald Reagan