A cold wind blew through the barren landscape, overtaken by crystalline formations stories tall. The ground consisted of grey sand that rose and fell as the land went on, spreading out seemingly forever. Scattered bones were littered around, made of unidentifiable creatures and...people, as no other signs of life, could be seen. The sun itself dare not tread in this dark landscape, which was lit only by a pale planet hovering above, reflecting light from seemingly no source. As a lone man walked across the blank, jagged landscape, he gripped the scimitars strapped to his sides.
Days of walking had gone by when he finally reached his destination: a massive stone temple standing out against the sand. It bore imposing marble columns to its front and a massive steeple at its top, but appeared to had been subject to eons of abandonment. As Vartek climbed the endless steps and walked through its massive open doors between its towering columns, he felt the cold breeze seem to shift in favor of a soft heat emanating from the entrance.
You won't let me win, but you won't let me lose. And you make me WALK to your house after stealing my victory!" He screamed internally. In the weeks since he had been ripped from battle, he had plenty of time to brood over his stolen victory. The broken and bleeding body of Marco Diaz was ever present and fresh on his mind as the moment he almost won. His steps echoed against the marble walls depicting scenes of worship, reward, and decay, carved deep into the stone.
His face remained covered with wraps, but took on the green glow emanating from the end of the hall. As he stepped through the intricate doorway adorned with small quartz formations, he breathed an annoyed sigh.
The monumental space hadn't changed a bit. Massive fractured crystals resembling emeralds floated aimlessly around the rotunda, panging against shards and glowing softly. The ceiling above him rose high, where not even the shards dare reach.
At the center of the room, a gargantuan crest made of bones and shards in the shape of a heart capped with scissors, began to pulsate with the same lime green light.
Vartek frowned from behind his wraps and squinted his eyes as it hummed. "So you steal me from a fight, and then you don't even have the courtesy to bring me straight here. You have a funny way of getting what you want, Merena," he growled. As if to answer his question, the statue pulsated its light and hummed louder.
əɔuɐɥɔ ou pooʇs noʎ 'ʎlıɯɐɟ ɹəɥ ʇɥɓnoɹq pɐɥ lɹıɓ əɥʇ puɐ 'uəʞoɹq uəəq pɐɥ puɐʍ əɥʇ
Varteks eyes flared bright green for a moment as he instinctively gripped his blades. Memories flashed of the undaunted queen taking on her butterfly form, challenging him over his kill. "We lost the wand, yes. But I almost HAD the boy. Twice. Ending his life would have ended hers, and by default, given me the new wand, which I could have given to you."
snoıʇnɐɔ ʎɯəuə əɥʇ əpɐɯ əʌɐɥ sdn dıls ɹnoʎ ʎlʇɥɓıl pɐəɹʇ puɐ sdəʇs ɹno ʇunoɔ ʇsnɯ əʍ 'ʍou ɹoɟ ʇnq əʌol ʎɯ 'ɹəɥʇouɐ ɹo ʎɐʍ əuo 'əsɹnɔ ɹəɥ ɯoɹɟ ɯopəəɹɟ ɹnoʎ uɹɐə llıʍ noʎ
His grip tightened as he spoke in a low, rumbling voice. "MY slip-ups!?" Vartek bellowed. "I have done, exactly as you have asked! Yet STILL, I am a slave to this curse she put us under!" He released his grip on his blades and took a step closer to the statue. His eyes slowly began to soften with each passing word.
"I lost you, eons ago. And I will do anything to stop that from happening again."
The statue hummed softly, as a slow tendril of green magic snaked its way closer to him, before holding his hand dearly.
səɔıoɥɔ uʍo ɹno əʞɐɯ oʇ əəɹɟ 'ɹəʌo ʇɹɐʇs oʇ əəɹɟ əq llıʍ əʍ 'pıɐd uəəq sɐɥ ʇqəp ɹno puɐ 'pɐəp əɹɐ ʎəɥʇ əɔuo llıʍ noʎ ʍouʞ I
"Promise me one thing," Vartek whispered, his voice soft and nourishing to the ever glowing statue at the center of the room. It hummed a quiet light, mimicked by the shards floating aimlessly around it.
"That the blood moon goddess never gets another chance to take control of our souls again."
O - O - O - O - O - O
Star took her place at the starting line, amidst many of her family members, and backed by Marcos. To her right were the Johansens, growling and practically foaming at the mouth, while the Butterflies to her left seemed to for once let their hardy anticipation show. Star tightly gripped the deep green flag she was holding and grinned with intent at the mountain before her.
There were jagged slopes, slow ascents, lava pools, snowy cliffs, and lightning biomes littered around it. Truly a Mewman staple from the whole family!
She grinned excitedly, reminiscing in the wonderfully constructed "hill" that would house the entire families grudge match, but felt an uneasy sense of alarm in the back of her head. She looked around to find the cause of such a foreign emotion, but saw Marco frowning, almost pale as he stared nervously at the slope before him. He was breathing deeply and slowly with his eyebrows scrunched like he does when he's freaking out about something.
Sensing her boyfriend's worries, she reached for his hand and gripped it tightly, eliciting a small jump from him at the unanticipated contact. Looking deep into Stars blue eyes and drinking in her smile calmed him, however, as his breathing softened and he squeezed her hand back. This time he was almost sure he'd heard a camera go off somewhere.
Ignoring the small click, Star nodded and kissed his nose softly. "Just focus on me, okay? We can do this, just like last time," she whispered. With a small smile forming, he nodded in agreeance and regained his composure before the hill.
Star could hear light gossip to her left but chose to ignore it, this time. She could only handle so much of her families reaction at her Marco before she would snap.
Moon sat down atop her pedestal and held out an open palm, which began to glow a soft blue. "On your marks!" She began.
The divided families took a ready stance and leaned forward.
"Get set!"
Steely gazes and gruff breaths echoed throughout the crowd. Marcos parents grinned as they crouched low, ready to run.
Out of moons hand, a small ball of magic shot out into the air, soaring high before it began to slow. It started its descent, before quickly bursting into a green ball of sparks with a loud POP.
A massive crowd of Mewmans began rushing forward, pushing and shoving for any chance at the front. The first few seconds of any race were always the most crucial for establishing one's position. As Star and Marco weaved and jumped through family members, they found that the Diaz's were actually able to keep up pretty well.
Marco remembered this part of the race as the easiest. Form a plan of action and avoid getting trampled by either side of the family. He noticed a small divide to his left that would lead straight to the front, right between a group of Butterflies. Grabbing Stars hand, he pulled her sharply to the left and weaved right through the easily unnoticed gap.
Raphael and Angie however, were not so lucky, and found several Johansens swarming to their right and moving to block the divide. Nodding to one another, they moved for the space left behind by the crowd and weaved to the front. Narrowly missing a pitfall that had just claimed Blocq Johansen.
They scanned the surging crowd that was slowly getting thinner, looking for a sign of red and rainbow. To their dismay, however, they only found those two colors further up the hill. Right past a line of more pitfalls.
Raphael turned to his wife, both racing to keep up, and grinned at her focused glare forward. "Mi Amor, this does bring back a memory of our trip to Spain yes?" He shouted just above the noise. Angie let her glare drop for a moment as she returned his goofy grin and nodded.
"A little TOO much like Spain, if you ask me. Running with the bulls was a bit too crazy. Now c'mon. I wanna be there when our little cuties win this race!"
She grabbed Raphael's hand and took off in a dead sprint towards the line of traps, calculating every detail she'd use to get across. Once they were about to run straight over the edge, she dug her heels into the ground and pulled Raphael over her shoulder. He went sailing into the air as she jumped to be carried by his momentum, throwing both of them well beyond the danger.
The two landed perfectly on the grass and continued their run towards the two now completely shocked teens, gaining steadily. Marcos' eyes went wide when he saw the nearly impossible feat that took place behind him. He turned to Star and fumbled for words only to find her- also at a loss for words -completely shocked.
"Keep going, kids! The rain zone is next!" Angie shouted above the impending monsoon. Star gave Marco a worried look before letting it wash away into a glare of determination towards the top of the hill.
There, perched at the top of the rain biome, was King Boulder Johansen himself, holding his flag high into the air. Marco and Star gave each other a nod before splitting off to either side of the slope, taking one parent with each. Boulder laughed and waved his flag in the air before shouting down the mountain. "In the name of the game of flags! We Johansens will take home victory!"
With a loud *CRACK*, the mountainside lit up with a streak of lightning. It arced from the thick raincloud and forced all of its power directly into Boulder, who drove the tip of his flag deep into the ground.
Blinding energy flowed from his flag and blew car-sized chunks of rock in every direction, resulting in a monster landslide that thundered down the mountain.
As rocks rolled all around them, taking out various members of the family, Raphael kept a good pace with Marco. He turned to his son, narrowly avoiding a massive stone, and yelled above the destruction. "Marco! Why is it that they are trying to kill us? Did they perhaps not like us as much as we hoped?"
His son gave out a pained smile and shook his head. "No, no- WOAH! Dad, it's not like that! They do this every year! It's nothing personal!" he shouted. Raphael's expression lit up with a smile before sliding on his knees and dodging massive boulder. Turning his expression towards the hilltop, he caught a rock the size of his head and lobbed it down at a few Butterflies struggling with Johansens. "As you say, son. Just tell me where to go!"
Angie slid to the right as a rock rolled past her, and vaulted over another. Rolling back into a run, she turned to the leader of her team. "Star? Are you sure this is safe?" she yelled. Star nodded and picked up a flag from a fallen Johansen, smiling devilishly to herself. "Ohhh yeaaahh. This is actually pretty tame compared to the usual. All we have to do is grab flags from everyone and plant them all at the top!"
Angie dodged another boulder and looked at Star, bewildered. "What?! Why would we do that? Isn't the goal to win?" Star nodded and turned her attention back to the landslide. Her face maintaining a glare as if the rocks themselves were offending her. "Because I need everyone to see me as more than just a princess who's too young to do things on her own. I'm gonna show my family that I have what it takes to lead and to win. For everyone."
After avoiding a final stone that sailed by her head, Angie pulled Star into a mid-run hug. "Sweetie, your family loves you. And I'm sure they see you as more than just a child in big shoes." The two crossed paths with the boys, giving them thumbs up before parting again. "But I'm with you. Let's get those flags and show them what my little exchange student can do!"
The four members of team Diaz reunited finally near the top of the embankment and stared ahead at the snow biome. "Sweetheart, I believe I am getting a hang of this, Flag game!" Raphael remarked. Angie nodded and dusted some pebbles out of her hair while she ran. "Me too! But there's a change of plans, hun. The new goal is to get as many flags as we can and get them to Star so she can plant them at the top!"
Raphael smiled and jumped over the now-sizzling crater Boulder had left behind. "Very well! We're right behind you!"
Marco and Star exchanged a warm smile as the air turned frigid and the ground began to crunch beneath their feet. Small bits of collected frozen rainfall whipped around them from an isolated nimbus cloud. As the four rushed forward, Star noticed a small tuft of snow approaching them rapidly from up the hill.
Marco stopped his parents as Star handed him the flags and dove headfirst into the thickening snow. Her rainbow dress and golden hair disappearing into a sea of white. A few seconds passed with not a sound to be heard, and King River was flung from the snow in a huff, rolling to a stop at the Diaz's feet.
"So nice to see you all enjoying yourselves! How has the mountain been?" he asked cordially, standing up as if he hadn't been recently flung through the poofy snow. Raphael shrugged and held up a rock that resembled an ear of corn and handed it to the king. "It has been nice. I found an interesting rock and hope to paint a picture of such a diverse landmark when we are all done here!"
Marco smiled and shook the king's hand. "Thanks again for letting us come, River. And, sorry."
River wore a puzzled expression and eyed the boy. "Whatever are you apologizing for, young man?" Marco smiled at him and gestured up the hill. "That."
Before the king could even turn about, a horned boot drove into his back, sending him careening down the mountain in a flurry of white and cold. Star dusted the snow off her dress and called down the mountain after him, "Sorry dad! I'll see you at the tooop!"
"GOOD LUCK MY DEAR! I HOPE YOU wiiiinn!"
Star grabbed Marcos wrist and bolted once more up the mountain through the snow. Angie and Raphael smiled once the air finally turned warm, as they walked past a butterfly snared in a massive bear trap. Another seemed to be trying to open up the ground in a makeshift door, while a lone Johansen could be seen idly keeping a Butterfly at bay by firing arrows at her.
As the quartet ran past, not paid any mind by the surrounding participants, they began to notice the air begin to heat drastically. Despite the rise in temperature, however, Marco shivered at the thought of traversing dangerous lava with his parents. His parents weren't exactly professionals at surviving crazy Mewni rituals, and it was beginning to show in their tiring breaths.
"Mom? Dad?" he asked just above a whisper to Star wouldn't here, "Are you guys holding up okay? If you want to take a breather-"
"NONSENSE MARCO!" His mother interjected, surprising everyone on the team. "Ahem. Your father and I are fine. We uh, we're doing great! Try to keep up kids!"
Marco pursed his lips, clearly not convinced, but his parent's sweaty smiles were too broad to push further. "Okay. Well, stay close to me in the lava zone. Star is gonna run ahead and grab the last of the flags before the final push." Right on cue, Star took off in a dead sprint after kissing Marcos nose.
Angie and Raphael seemed nervous as the ground seemed to bake their feet, and split off into larger chunks floating on lava. But they kept their smiles up. It was going to take a lot more than lava to dissuade a Diaz!
Marco jumped quickly from one lava rock to the next, gesturing for his parents to continue with him. There were other participants around him in the lava, so he needed them to get the hang of it quickly. A forgotten knight was already pushing his luck on a, particularly unstable rock.
But to his surprise, his parents needed no help. They smiled knowingly at one another and sprinted towards the nearest rock. Jumping onto the first one, they wasted no time in jumping to the next, and the next, until they were over halfway across. The boiling lava bubbled around them but Marco couldn't focus on the obvious safety hazards just now.
A Mewman guard who was trying to carry a massive steel trap with Uncle Heartrude locked in its jaws was obviously struggling. He teetered left and right as his noble battled with Grunt Johansen. There was a soft crack and a creeping fracture began making its way across the platform. Heartrude wasted no time jumping to another platform on his hands, but his guard was not so lucky.
Grunt drove a fist into the rock, his flag now missing, and the crack began to form quicker to Marcos panic. He jumped from searing rock to searing rock and dove right into the heavily clad Mewman just in time. Tackling him onto the next platform and leaving him there, he took off running towards the top of the hill. Mountain. The big crazy biome everyone wanted to race on.
With their crocs beginning to melt, Angie and Raphael quickly discarded their shoe wear and ran up the deepening slope. Marco caught up to them with a large amount of soot on his face, and the ankles of his jeans seemed singed. Raphael was about to ask if he was okay but Marco quickly reassured them. After all, he wasnt the one in danger.
"Little bit of lava. Dont worry about it, I've definitely had worse." His parents exchanged an uneasy glance but continued running. The summit of the hill nearly in sight, and a crowd of battling Mewmans in their path. Star grabbed the last flag from Etheria and gripped the fistful of markers close to her chest. Before she could run for the summit, however, a shrill scream filled the air.
SHES GOT OUR FLAAAAGS!!!"
Etheria called for everyones attention to be directed at Star, who stopped dead in her tracks as both halves of her family stood absolutely still. All eyes were on her, and it was so quiet you could hear the wind trickle through the grass.
After a short second of pause, groups of both sides of the family made a rush for Star. She debated using her wand to fend them off, but she knew it was a clear violation of the rules of the game to use magic. Which meant disqualification. She remembered the last time she played, which led to moon intervening and there being no clear winner. Also not an option.
Before she could think of any more ideas, Marco and his parents rushed to her side and began holding back those closest to her. Marco held back Grunt Johansen, careful to avoid the biting bear on his head, and shifted his weight to vault the big guy over his shoulder. He took a step forward, only to be met with a MASSIVE hand that gripped his hoodie. King Boulder Johansen hoisted the boy up and smiled.
He spoke in his deep voice, eying Marco directly. "Young lad, ah think you're a bit on the wee side to be playin' a man's game. But ah've been wrong before. Let's see ya prove et!" And without another word, he threw Marco across the hilltop and into a rock. The force of the impact sent knives of pain up his back, while he could see stars in his vision. And not the pretty ones.
Raphael ran towards a group of rushing Butterflies, ready to tackle at least some of them to the ground, but they split off around him, however, making a beeline for Star. He frowned, reaching out and grabbing three of them in a burly bearhug. "You know, it is rude to ignore someone. Perhaps I should get into the spirit of the game."
He spun quickly and threw his prisoners down the hill, watching them roll out of control over a cliff. With that group disposed of, he turned to the others but found that Star had already taken care of them. Dusting off his hands, he stopped when he saw Marco struggling to avoid Boulders heavy punches. "Mi Amor! Help Star! I'm going to have a word with the large bearded man!"
Angie nodded and made a run for Star, abandoning a nearly helpless Heartrude, but was kicked from behind and thrown to the ground. When she rolled over, she saw a woman almost as burly as Raphael, wearing bear paws as gloves, and with a thick, unruly mane of blonde hair. Angie frowned, wiping the sweat from her eyes as she stood carefully, cracking her neck.
"You're not going to hurt my little CUTIES!" she yelled, charging towards the woman. Queen Rubble Johansen merely cracked her...knuckles...in anticipation and grinned wickedly. She dove for Angie's midsection but an elbow drove her down into the dirt. Rolling forward to avoid a kick to the ribs, Rubble grabbed one of Angie's legs and chucked her several yards away, but was surprised to see the woman land on her feet. Sliding several more yards to a stop in a low crouch.
Angie took off in a sprint -which Rubble seemed excited for- feigning a dive before jumping high into the air. Turning and extending her foot in one swift motion, she clipped the side of Rubbles head and sent the barbarian queen to the ground. She fell with a massive *thud* and seemed dazed as her opponent landed softly next to her. "Don't underestimate an angry mother from Earth," she muttered. Summoning every ounce of strength, an enraged Angie Diaz picked Rubble up and threw her down the hill in a heap, hoping to keep the queen out of commission long enough for Star to make it to the top.
Star, however, was not fairing so well. She had kept several of her aunts and uncles at bay, but found that fighting with a handful of flags was a rather difficult task. She jumped back to avoid a roundhouse kick and dove once more to the side to clear a charging Butterfly. She could feel a pang of anger in the back of her head, and a growing pain in her ribs.
"What is wrong with me right now?" she asked herself, jumping over a tackle and using one of her cousin's face as a landing platform. She looked to her right, seeing Marco and his father attempt to subdue King Boulder, but failing.
Boulder had thrown Raphael to the side and had just finished elbowing Marco in the ribs as he fought off the choke hold. It wasnt easy for a teenager to keep a barbarian in check, and it was even harder to ignore the burning sensation in his abdomen. He was grabbed by the shoulder and flung from Boulders back, landing next to his exhausted father.
The two helped each other stand and eyed the massive king warrily. "Marco, I don't suppose you have a specific plan in mind to beat this king?" Raphael asked, out of breath. Marco shook his head and took a fighting stance, shrugging off the pain. "I got nothing. We'd probably be better off just making a run for the top."
Boulder sneered at the two and began edging closer to them. "And what makes ye think ah'd let ya?" he boasted. He knew that a couple of humans didn't have a chance at beating him, so his best bet was to neutralize them here and now. Marco grit his teeth and took off running. Straight at Boulder. This wasn't about buying time anymore. If he was going to go down, it might as well be to the biggest baddie on the mountain.
Boulder tried to throw a right punch at him but Marco expected that. He had seen boulder eating mostly with his right hand, making it the dominant hand, and he knew enough from karate to read someone's stance and striking path. He hopped into the air and leaned his body back, a massive fist passing just in front of his nose, as he drove two feet into the king's stomach. Keeping his momentum, he jumped back from the reeling barbarian and landed near where he started.
He charged forward and feigned for the king's legs, but dove upwards instead. Boulder threw a heavy left hook at the boy but was surprised to see Marco weave around his fist and jump into the air. While the king tried to regain his footing, Marco turned in the air and swung his right foot directly into the back of Boulders neck.
The king fell to his knees as Marco landed, making quick work of the sudden advantage. He lunged forward and delivered a powerful knee directly into the man's ribs, sending him further down the hill in a roll. Boulder stopped and righted himself, wiping a bit of blood from the side of his face. "Ya got spunk, son! Ah'll give ya that! Ain't been taken down in years! But now it's time ta get serious!"
Boulder took a low stance and was ready to charge when he felt a hand reach around his front and grab his chest. There was a soft pressure behind his legs and with a quick pull backward he toppled hard and landed on his back. Before he could stand, however, a bare foot pressed against his chest. Raphael loomed over him and shook his head, before knocking the king out cold with a heavy right hook. "I believe you might be taking this game too seriously, sir. My apologies for your face."
The two caught their breath and charged forward at a group of Butterflies, who seemed eager to take advantage of their tired state. Star, however, jumped them from behind and whacked one of her uncles with the bundle of flags. Marco grabbed the wrist of Block Johansen, a younger prince, and flipped the boy over his shoulder and down the hill. He breathed heavily and eyed up the slope, satisfied with their progress. They were almost there.
"You little brat!"
A shrill shriek echoed out over the hill, stopping the exhausted team. Etheria stomped forward with a group of Butterflies and a few raging Johansens. "You think just because you took down a few blockheads, you've won?! I don't know how a group of humans made it this far, but you're not getting past us with our flags!"
Star gripped the bundle and glared at her aunt with trembling annoyance. She took a step forward and took a ready stance against the group, the Diaz's doing the same. "They're not just humans. They're Diaz's. And you can't stop us from getting to the top!" There was a moment of silence between the groups, as both Star and Etheria glared at one another.
It was the old woman, however, who lifted a fist high into the air and yelled at the top of her lungs: "CHAAARGE!!!" Star answered in kind and charged forward with her group, ready for battle. Both sides charged at one another, screaming and yelling as they neared. The mountain seemed to still as both sides met in the middle, colliding into a massive, all-out brawl. Butterflies trampled over Johansens, Johansens fought tooth and nail with the Diaz's, and the Diaz's kept as many people at bay as they could. But it wasnt enough.
An onslaught of fists, kicks, and grabs was thrown around from and by all sides. Marco felt a rib crack, Raphael could barely breathe, Angie spit out a tooth and kept punching, while Star was dogpiled by half of her extended family. She grit her teeth and fought to keep Etheria from grabbing a flag, and felt a fist collide with her jaw. Hands and legs were discernable as they were thrown at anyone nearby, and the noise was deafening as everyone fought to stay ahead. Fought to win.
There was a tipping point Star had to face. That her family wouldn't accept defeat and she'd have to walk away again empty-handed. But that wasn't the way she did things. That wasn't the Star way. She gripped the flags and let out a mighty yell as she felt a burning sensation all over her body. The air got warm, and the ground seemed to shake before a bright flash stole everyones senses.
Everyone surrounding Star was thrown back several yards as she hovered a foot from the ground, tufts of blue fire dancing around her eyes and hair, with heat radiating in every direction. She breathed slowly, regaining control of her nerves as she slowly lowered down the to ground. Her feet burning spots into the green grass, and the blue fire dancing around her dress. She opened her eyes and looked around, seeing her friends and family also coming too.
Marco however, stared at her in shock more than anyone. He knew what she could do, but didn't expect she would use it like this. Etheria rubbed a burned patch of hair as she looked around, cautiously laying her eyes on Star. Her glare began to form, and she pointed a bony finger at her niece.
"MAGIC! SHE USED MAGIC! DISQUALIFIED!" She shouted, drawing everyones gaze to the burning princess. Star shook her head and dropped the flags at her feet before taking a step closer to her aunt, the grass sizzling where she stepped. "Whatever. Disqualify my team if you want. I thought I could prove to everyone that I could be a good princess and bring you together, but all you care about is winning, and yourselves!"
She kicked the bundle of flags to her aunt, who greedily took her own and began running up the hill. Star glared at the ground and shook her head once more. "I'm done playing this stupid game. You all can race to the top without me, because I'd rather lose alongside humans, than win against a family of prejudiced, intolerable MEWMANS!"
She was about to begin walking away when a gentle hand touched her shoulder. And another, and another, until there were too many to count. She looked around and noticed that many of her family, and Marcos, had stayed by her side. Boulder spoke up first, smiling wide across his bruising face.
"Ah'm sorreh we made ya angreh, Star. And don't for ah second think weh don't believe you're ah great princess." Star exhaled softly, smiling as her flames died down to nothing. Boulder grabbed Marco and brought the two into a burly bear hug, nearly squeezing the life out of them both. "Ahnd yer boyfriends family is amazin'! Proved me right wrong! Ya shoulda seen em fightin! Ahh, ya found a good match there, pipsqueak."
He set them down as the rest of her family murmured in agreeance, shaking the Diaz's hands and patting one another on the back for a game well played.
"I'VE WON THIS YEARS GAME OF FLAGS!! VICTORY FOR THE BUTTERFLY FAMILY!"
Aunt Etheria did a small dance as she celebrated, but no one cheered. Not even the Butterflies surrounding Star. Queen Rubble shot the old woman a glare. "Ahh shut yer pie yah daft old crow! The games about more than winnin'!" She turned to Star and Marco and smiled. "An ah can't wait ta see ya playin' next year, ya cuties."
Star smiled and hugged her grandparents as Heartrude and a few other Butterflies joked with Marcos family. Maybe today wasnt a total wash after all. She actually managed to bring both sides together, and all it took was-
"STAR!"
"That can't be good," she thought to herself. Moon marched up to the crowd and eyed her daughter expectantly. "A word, please. You too, Marco." The two exchanged glances before Marcos parents nodded, gesturing to the queen. The crowd of Mewmans parted and the two made their way down the hill. "Marco," Queen Moon began, "a portal to the picnic, please."
He obliged and cut a pink portal to the picnic area from earlier, now deserted, apart from the kiddie table and a few servants cleaning up. Moon whirled around at the two as River walked up, wearing a black eye proudly, and looking pretty roughed up.
"Explain yourselves. Immediately. What on Mewni was that display?" Star looked at Marco and spoke in a hushed tone. She was out of breath from merely walking, given her body's battered state. "Mom, you've seen it before at the Kingdom of Corn-"
"No! This isn't just some illusion magic you used during a dance! You were actually on fire and burned the ground. You blasted your family away like nothing, and you were hovering like a demon. So what. Was it." Moon crossed her arms looking at her daughter with a glare somewhere between anger and worry. Wonger maybe.
Marco stepped forward and began to speak, but Moon held up a finger. "I'll deal with you in a moment, Marco. I want Star to explain this." Star bit her lip and felt a sudden need to disappear, but she let the truth flow anyway. This was a long time coming after all, and maybe it would help them in the long run.
"It's actually, mostly about Marco though, mom. He's, well...h-he's from the future." She turned to look at Marco, expecting him to be angry with her for giving away the truth so easily, but to her surprise, he seemed stoic, and expressionless. Like he expected this to happen eventually. "Star," Moon began, "This is no time for a silly excuse. What is going on with you? Did you meet some odd archmage family? Did you make a deal with an interdimensional being? What is it?"
Star glared at her mother and balled her fists, taking a step closer to Moon and pointing at Marco. "Mom, it's not an excuse! Marco is really from the future! He got sent back by a goddess to protect me from... from the assassin who attacked us." No one said a word, so Star continued.
"We were great friends in his timeline, but he woke up in his past on the day I arrived on Earth. We've been going with it and the fire is a side effect/power thing we got to help us protect ourselves."
Moon pursed her lips and spoke uneasily, with River clearly being too surprised to say anything. "If all of that is true, what goddess sent you back here, Marco? And who is this assassin that's after you both?" Marco looked at Star, who nodded for him to answer. He took a deep breath and spoke softly.
"The Blood Moon Goddess sent me back. The assassins name is Vartek, and he went back in time after the goddess killed his wife for wanting to kill the queen. He thinks that killing us will make them even." Moon exchanged a look with River, who eyed Marco looking downright murderous.
"YOU STOLE MY LITTLE GIRLS INNOCENCE TO SOULBOND FOR THE BLOOD MOON?!" he screamed. He lunged for Marco but Moon held him back. "River dear, it doesn't work like that. You dance under the light of the moon. Not...that." He calmed down some, but remained glaring daggers at Marco who spoke next.
"We went to the Blood Moon Ball and we accidentally started dancing when it chose us. And uh...well, we kinda did it again the second time. That's why we have the blue fire, and why Star sorta remembers some of her other future." Moon nodded and sighed indignantly, rubbing her temples.
"Star, are you aware of what this all entails? Soul bonding with someone, it's not a small thing. And are you happy with your current situation?" Star nodded and held Marcos' hand. The two exchanged a small smile before turning to the queen. "Yes. I'm happy with Marco and I know it's a big deal. I'm sorry we didn't tell you guys any of this sooner, but we were scared you might take me away."
Moon nodded and held Stars shoulder, eying her with a seriousness she hadn't shown before. "And, are you safe on Earth, sweetheart? I'm worried about you running into this, Vartek, again."
"I'll be okay, mom. I have the wand, I have Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, and I have Marco."
Moon smiled and stepped back. She looked up the hill to see the rest of the family approaching and decided to end the talk. "That you do, my shining Star. As long as you've thought this all through, and youre happy and safe, I'll allow it. We're not done discussing this soul bond either, but no more secrets, alright?"
Star nodded and hugged her mother. "I promise, mommy. I'll be okay."
River scoffed and eyed Marco with a stiff glare that could curdle milk. "See to it that she is, dear boy. And no funny stuff with my daughter. Anything more than a consensual quick peck, and I'll have your head mounted above the drawbridge."
Marco audibly gulped and nodded, taking a step back. Moon and Star separated as the queen looked around the picnic area. "I suppose we should continue the festivities, don't you think, River? Come, let's go...congradulate Aunt Etheria." Her words were like venom, but the two turned and walked toward the approaching family.
Star turned to Marco and gave him a tight hug, which he gladly returned, though he could swear the distant click of a camera was real. "I'm sorry about today," Star began, "And for telling my parents."
Marco held her shoulders and looked into her sky blue eyes, smiling wide to Stars surprise. "Are you kidding?!" That was the most fun I've had in a long time! I can't wait for next year, and I'm glad your family likes me." He leaned closer to her and brought their lips together. Star held his cheek and the two felt a warm flame build at their feet.
Separating, Marco held Stars chin and smiled warmly at her, which she adored. "And don't worry about it. We had to tell them eventually. It might help us in the future, though I won't be spending any alone time with your dad for a while."
Star giggled and held his hands, rubbing her thumbs over his. His hands were soft but rough around the edges from years of fighting on Earth. "Don't worry about him. He doesn't know about Vintal, Macho Man."
Her words were like honey, making him blush profusely at the thought of their more wild adventure. "Hey, we do more than fool around when we go there, you know." Star grinned, giving him a coy smile and kissing his cheek. "Oh, I know. But I dont need to cross dimensions to get my burrito fix. Now c'mon, let's go congratulate the old crow!"
She grabbed Marcos wrist and practically dragged him over to the picnic area while he tried to wrap his exhausted head around what she had said. "I'm more than a piece of meat you know!"
"Yeah, I know! No piece of meat has a tush that cute!"
"Stop talking about my tush around your family!"
"Oh shush! You like it just as much as I do. Now hurry up, I wanna hear about your fight with Boulder, and how your mom actually beat Rubble!"
To Be Continued In: Sleeping Truths
AUTHORS NOTE
Hey, all you people!
Hey, all your people!
Hey, all you people won't you please forgive meeee!
Lol, sorry for the late chapter, but I made it a long one with plenty of dirt and action for ya! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you all have an amazing day! Next chapter promises even more dirt and *drumroll* DRAMA!! Oh, its gonna be fun! If you have any questions feel free to PM me! Leave a review with your thought and suggestions, and I'll see ya'll in the next chapter! BUH BYYYEEE!!!
~Mr. Ronald Reagan