Forgotten Ventures

One Drop in an Ocean

"I think we're ready."

"Ready's an understatement. But the risk is high."

Tom sat across from Torriditty, a dark cavern around them. It had been a long time since they'd ventured out into the unknown, but they were running low on supplies. He nodded to himself and met her gaze. "We have everything we need. All that's left is your go-ahead, and we can get started."

Torriditty swallowed, but she met him with determination and grit. It had been too long, that much was clear. Now all that was left were high-risk plans to salvage what they could and try to make it back alive. Slowly, she pulled up her mask to cover the lower part of her face, completing her ninja ensemble quite perfectly. "Present and accounted for. Operation 'Snack Run' is a go."

They crept towards the door, only a thin shaft of light curling from beneath the threshold. In all truth, the 'cavern' was actually their temporary lodging at Butterfly Castle, and they needed more snacks for a movie marathon. With Star gone, it was best that they didn't bump into the Queen for questions they didn't have answers to. It had been an agreeable six months so far and the castle staff was polite at the absolute worst, but this was going to be pushing it.

The door creaked open as the two chanced some small surveillance of the outside halls. "All clear babe," Torriditty whispered, "no sign of Moon. Minimal servant pattern. Collateral: unlikely."

Tom nodded to himself and pulled down his sunglasses as Torriditty got into position. He gripped the handles of their ride before muttering, "Let's fucking do this."

The door slammed open as the two tore out of the room at breakneck speeds. Torriditty rode atop a baker's cart while Tom kicked up dust in a mad sprint down the hall. They were practically flying past doors and statues and hanging banners on a round-trip ticket to the main kitchen. This mission was more about speed than discretion but it would take a considerable amount of both to see it through.

Torriditty leaned forward and pointed ahead. "Bogey, on the right! Sir Lavab-"

"I see 'em, copy mark!" Tom returned without a second thought. "Evasive maneuver ten seven… NOW!"

Torriditty leaned hard to the left and gripped the rail of the baker's cart as Tom veered it in the same direction. Narrowly missing a waving Lavabo the two blew past and into an adjacent hallway. The route was mapped and altered as expected without a second of lost time. They were getting close. The smell of confections and grilling meat began to fill the halls as their mark was closing in. Apparently, these sorts of antics were commonplace in Butterfly Castle. The servants knew to steer clear and keep their distance from ruckus down the halls. The path was clear.

Tom winced as they whizzed by the throne room, but there was no going back now. "Approaching contact in twelve point two marks! Ready loader for snatch and grab!"

Torriditty flipped to her stomach and laid flat on the baker's cart. The kitchen was right in front of them. With a loud crash, the cart blew both the double doors wide open as Tom ducked to hang on the back of the cart. They passed under arms, shelves, steam; they flew past ovens and grills and cooks alike, all operating as though nothing was amiss, or moving instinctively out of the way of what they probably thought was River on a tear for meat. Etherea was also known to go wild for snacks. When she thought no one was looking, of course.

Once the dangerous hurdles had been cleared, Tom resumed his push and veered the cart toward the royal pantry. "Mark! Snatch and grab is a go!" Torriditty made quick work of grabbing everything she could fit in her arms and on the cart. Cheese Pits, Doridolos, Copy Cola, Hastings, Little Eddie's, and Snookers, to name a few. Once she'd dumped the haul into the cart, Torriditty flipped back into riding position and fanned her arm to signal the engine. "Retrieval is good! Mark one return! Drop two delta osmara!"

The commands and callouts were all utterly meaningless, but it helped to look and sound like they meant business. Tom immediately turned on his heels and kicked the cart forward, blasting fire from his heels to shoot out an adjacent exit. Using separate routes for entry and return would keep their trail fresh, and keep their escape free. "That's a good grab, Tor'!" Tom shouted, "We make it back to the room and we're home free for the next two days at least. That ought to be enough time for Star to-"

"TOM!" Torriditty cried out. He looked up in time to see a lone figure stepping into the hallways completely unaware of the approaching stampede.

Queen Moon had a fraction of a second to notice the duo, asses their trajectory, and step aside. But by then it was too late. Tom ground his shoes into the polished marble to slow their advance. When that failed to guarantee safety, he tried to veer around the Queen. The momentum loss of slowing down coupled with the sharp change of direction was too much for the cart to handle. Torriditty let out a gasp as it tipped, crashing into the ground before skidding into a wall with a deafening *crunch!*

The two were left in a heap of snacks and groans as Queen Moon approached, staring down with a pleasant smile. "Thomas. Torriditty. I was wondering when I'd bump into the two of you." Honestly, she didn't even look phased! 'What does Star DO here?!'

Tom was the first to gather his wits and collect himself into a full-fledged panic. He forced an easy smile and rubbed his aching neck as he offered, "Heyyyy, your majesty! What an unexpected, toootally legitimate surprise! Man, what's it been, like two days?"

Moon nodded, her expression unwavering. "Three, but who's counting," she answered. "I was hoping I could have a word with the two of you about-"

"Star? Nope, zilch, haven't seen blonde hair in a day!" Torriditty dove headfirst into her own flavor of panic mode. "Gosh, she's probably just trying out a new hobby, maybe a bad week? We thought we'd give her space… but if you… wanna…" She trailed off, shoving her hand in her pockets. It was anything but subtle, but Moon still didn't look the least bit surprised. Stars' regular antics must have made it impossible for the average teenager to phase her.

Finally, Moon let her smile shed. "Actually, I wanted to speak about your living situation." Both Tom and Torriditty traded a short, confused glance as Moon waved a hand for a trio of knights to reorganize the cart and its cargo. "Take it to their room. And replace the shaken cola, please."

As the knights got underway, Moon turned back to them and sighed in a fashion more reserved for Star than anyone else. "Believe me when I say it has been a delight having the two of you here," she began with careful emphasis. "You get along swimmingly with the staff, you keep your antics to a minimum, and you have no reservations about putting in some work when needed. It's a far better standing than my own daughter two years ago, but…"

Realizing she was rambling, she cleared her throat. "I have no problem with the two of you staying here as long as you need. But I would ask the two of you to please contact your families."

Surprisingly, they looked even more terrified than before. She wanted them to call their parents? Was she nuts? "Queen Moon, I-" Tom began, but she held up her hand. This clearly wasn't up for debate. "I know it's a large bill to front, but I wouldn't appreciate it if my daughter was playing fugitive in another kingdom. And that has happened in the past, mind you." She narrowed her eyes, but not in any fashion that indicated hostility or impatience. "I've received word from several Underworld citizens that your whereabouts aren't known, and I should like that to be changed immediately. I want the two of you to at least touch base with your parents and let them know you're alright. It's been six months, and I won't have you delaying the inevitable any longer."

She turned to leave without so much as a prompt for argument, not that either of them would have bothered trying. "Oh, and tell Star that I do expect her to be at the Kingdom of Corn Dinner this week. Even if it's just a brief appearance, it would do our people a lot of good."

Begrudgingly, Tom answered, "Yes, Queen Moon," before he and Torriditty began the long march back to their quarters.

After a short moment of walking, once they were surely out of earshot Tom blew a soft whistle. "The Kingdom of Corn Dinner. Remember that? Talk about a catfight, haha!"

A slug to his shoulder ended his laugh while Torriditty shook her head. "That was a shitty time, need I remind you," she grumbled. "And how could Moon want Star to go… without Marco? That was like, their thing last year."

"Maybe she thinks it'll help Star move on. Make new memories and paint over the old ones with duty," Tom groaned. Though he added with a twist of sincerity, "and uhh… you know. Maybe it won't be without Marco."

Ironically, Torriditty's expression turned cold. She set her jaw and stared at the passing portraits of the Butterfly family. "I really hope so, Tom. But I'm not getting my hopes up, not with what we have to go on." The two walked in silence for a moment longer before she asked, "Are you actually gonna call your dad?"

Tom stuffed his hands in his pockets and matched her composure. "Was I supposed to be considering it? Because I wasn't."

"I know how stuff is with your family, but… I dunno," she sighed. "We were ready for the worst six months ago. Maybe he's had time to cool off. My parents are probably gonna give me an earful, but I'm sure they'll be excited to-"

"You don't know my family," Tom cut in, immediately softening his tone. "That's half my fault, and half theirs." The air started to heat up around him, even giving Torriditty a bead of sweat. "I'm not avoiding him because I'm scared he's pissed, Tor. It's because I'm still mad. My dad isn't as goofy and clueless as everyone wants to think. If anything, your parents have a pretty spot-on mark for him, in that he doesn't care who he has to hurt as long as it's 'for the good of the underworld'. He won't accept what he did; just like when I left."

After a few more portraits came and went, Torriditty grabbed Tom's hand. Reluctantly, as if by deliberate choice the air began to cool. "You can't move forward until you talk it out, and it's not gonna get better until you tell him how you feel. Plus, I kinda want your parents to like me, and that's hard when they think I'm influencing this excursion. What do you have to lose that you haven't already left behind?"

"My afternoon?"

Another slug to the shoulder, and Tom winced. "I'm being serious, edge lord. Star might be able to fix things, and maybe she can undo what Vartek did. But… if she can't? Are you really gonna hold on to it until we die?"

Tom glared at the approaching doors at the end of the hallway, both his and Torriditty's rooms. She kissed his cheek and gave him a short hug. "I'll be around when you're done, but promise me you'll give it a real try. Got it?"

Something about her alluring comfort and optimism seemed to chip away at his outright refusal. Torriditty always had that ability to just... reach in and only pull out the good parts. He couldn't help but smile and hug her back, the two parting towards their doors. "Alright… I promise."

He clicked his door shut and let out a deep sigh, desperate to cool his nerves. He paced for a moment, thought about what he'd say, rehearsed that, edited it, and finally moved towards the black curtains on the far side of his room. Pulling them aside, Tom stood in front of a mirror and cleared his throat. With a crack to his voice, he called out, "Call Dad."

The mirror beeped twice. "I don't see a 'Dad' in your contacts. Who would you like to call?"

Tom groaned and palmed his face. Of course. This wasn't his mirror, it was just a loaner. He sighed and tried again. "Direct call to Castle Lucitor, sealed line omega maximus governor to David Erebus Lucitor."

This time he got the response he desired. The mirror lit up into flames to the dial tone of screams and organs playing. Blood pooled up behind the glass before splitting into a yellowing eyeball. Spiders crawled over the iris before it popped into a ball of magma. Tom just checked his watch. 'Still as tacky as ever, Dad.'

Finally, the screen flipped back to normal, the reflection revealing an average man sitting behind a Black Oak desk in an ornate office. Curtains of lava poured behind him as Dave Lucitor opened the call with a thunderous yell. "WHO THE HELL IS THIS? HOW DID YOU GET MY PRIVATE NUMBER TO- …to…." He trailed off after properly fixating on his own mirror. Slowly Dave stood from behind his desk. "Thomas? Is that you?"

The young man in question stuffed his hands into his pockets and frowned. "Yeah. Hey Dad."

Matching his son's energy, Dave frowned back. "Your horn is broken."

"Happened during the fight."

Dave tapped his fingers against the desk. "You haven't called in six months."

"I've been busy."

A gruff sigh from the king of the underworld. Dave shook his head. "It's good to finally hear from you, now that you have time for family."

Letting out a frustrated groan, Tom shook his head, forcing back a haughty laugh. "And there it is: the backhanded bullshit. You get everyone to think you're just some guy, a total rando flying the underworld with his asscheeks, but really you can't help but let those true colors out. I knew this was a mistake, I shouldn't have-"

"Thomas, wait." Dave took an instinctive step forward before stopping himself. His hand was outstretched, but he quickly curled his fingers and retracted it. The sudden and alarming shift of his tone was enough to keep Tom's finger hovering over the end call button, but only that. "I'm sorry. I've been dealing with a lot of problems in the wake of the disaster, I didn't mean to take it out on- there's been so much to- …it's good to see you again, Son."

Unlike his usual front of friendliness and aloof optimism, Tom noticed his father was now uncharacteristically formal in his composure. He wasn't always wearing the facade of an average dude ruling the Underworld, but pretty often that was the case. It made Tom uneasy to see him so leashed, but reluctantly he sat down. Dave followed suit. "Whatever. How's uhh… how's mom?"

Dave nodded and cleared his desk before answering. "She's doing well, misses you, that kind of thing. We both do," he added quickly, a momentary break in his prudent facade. "We didn't really know where you went, but when the surface began to settle we figured you were likely okay. I didn't get an envoy or emissary to notify me of your death, anyway. You've got your old man's spirit, right?"

"I… don't think I like the sound of that," Tom sighed. He made a promise, and as shitty as it was, he wanted to see it through. "Yeah, I've been doing good. Crashing with a friend for a while, just living life."

Before Dave could question his day-to-day, an imp flew in with a stack of paperwork, depositing it neatly in front of him. Dave glanced over the documents before sliding them aside. "'Crashing with a friend'? I assume you mean the Count's daughter? Temerity, was it?"

"Torriditty, Dad," Tom corrected with restrained emphasis. "If you guys would spend more than ten minutes with her, you'd know that."

"Your mother and I haven't expressed objections to having her around. I was under the assumption that you were hiding her from us." Dave tapped his fingers on his desk. "I suppose I don't blame you. Her family seems to have a rather torrid perspective on the royal family. You included."

Tom rolled his eyes. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there, provided you haven't burned it already. Honestly, you guys could at least acknowledge that we're dating, instead of just pretending we're friends."

"We were fine with you sneaking her off to the Kingdom of Corn Dinner with us," Dave corrected. The tapping stopped. "Though in truth I just assumed it was a ploy to get Star Butterfly to take an interest in you, but apparently you're committed to something else now. Forgive me for not understanding why you pursue that venture."

Tom didn't bother contending that point again. There had been enough talk about his relationship with Torriditty, and both of them knew it. Dave cleared his throat and folded his hands on his desk. "We want you to come home, Thomas. You've spent enough time 'finding yourself,' but it's about time you-"

"Not happening." Tom scowled at Dave with all the sweetness of curdled milk, an expression answered with a fatigued eye roll.

"I'm sorry if I made it seem like I was asking. We'll send someone to Mewni to collect your things, and you can get back to being-"

"'Sorry' If I made it sound like I give a shit," Tom all but hissed, "I'm not coming home, in case that wasn't clear after six months of blocking your number and avoiding you." Dave didn't deign to answer, so Tom stood up and stepped closer to the mirror. "I'm not going anywhere... until you apologize."

At that, Dave quirked an eyebrow. "Would you care to explain what I should be apologizing for? As I recall, you left us."

There was a growing heat in his bedroom, not that anyone was around to feel it. He'd been mostly forbidden from using conflagration magic inside the castle walls, apart from parlor tricks and the like. But at that present moment, Tom didn't care. "For what you said in the war room. Six months ago. You'd be dead if I'd stayed down there with you, waiting for the storm to blow over. You accused me of not caring about my duty to our people, but I did the right thing. I risked my life. I helped save the kingdom. And you're going to recognize that."

In spite of his son's rip, Dave didn't even flinch. He leaned forward and offered an unperturbed, "You realize that I did what was best for-"

"No. You did what was easier," Tom growled. The mirror was beginning to crackle with power, from which side neither of the two knew. "You didn't even try to help them. You locked the door and you sat in your damn chair and told everyone to hide like you, and because of YOU, MY BEST FRIEND IS FUCKING DEAD!"

He hadn't even noticed the walls of his room roaring with flames. He dispersed them with ease, but the choked sob that followed was less than modest. "I lost… the only real friend I've ever had… because you. Didn't. Help. I asked you to do the right thing for other people for once, and you did what you always do: you turned your back. So YES. YOU, are going to apologize, for making me out to be what you've been this whole time."

The line was quiet. Dave sat there, staring at his son with all the weight of the Underworld behind him. After a long moment to compile his thoughts, Dave stood. "Thomas," he breathed, his tone far less endearing. Even in Mewni, even in Castle Butterfly, the room felt more frigid at his words. "I do what I do, for the good of the Kingdom. And whether you like it or not, You'll do the same when your time comes."

There was a building static as he strode forward, standing directly in front of the mirror. He wasn't malicious, he'd never struck Tom, but that itch to run was all too real. "Above all else, above the lives of any other kingdom, I chose to do what was necessary for the interest of my people. No amount of friendship or tender consideration will ever sway my regard for the Underworld. Now you will return home at once to resume your duties, and I won't hear any more of your little fling with the commoners." He paused with an inquisitive incline to his head. "Or should I make this matter more public, and see to it that the girl's family gets involved? How do you think they'd react to learning you abducted their daughter? That she's been with a Lucitor all these months?"

Tom could only stare at him. Afraid was an understatement, but he swallowed his nerves and grimaced. "You keep pushing your luck, and I'll make sure the 'Lucitor bloodline' ends with me." Dave's eyes went wide, but Tom had well and checked out of any more fear tactics. "I'll come home when I feel like it, or when you admit that you chose to hide like a coward. Thanks for wasting my afternoon."

"THOMAS! YOU COME HOME THIS-"

"Line disconnected."

The young man stood there for a moment, collecting his racing thoughts before he too took to screaming in anger. His entire room was pitched into a chaotic frenzy of smoke, fire, and ash.

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

It had been five hours since her little episode, and Star hadn't spoken so much as a word to him. He just kept walking forward, always in front of her, and always looking ahead. Suppose that was Toffee's motif, but it hardly mattered now. For the first three hours, she was mad. For the fourth, she was beginning to wonder if there was some alternative to their stalemate. And for the fifth, one question had been lingering, one action that started this all.

"Why did you do it?"

Par for the course, Toffee didn't look back as he answered. "You'll have to be more explicit, princess. I've lived for centuries, and I've accomplished quite a lot."

"You killed my grandma." She spat those words with malevolence through her teeth, but Toffee didn't even look back. "She was sweet, loving, generous, and you killed her for trying to make peace. So I wanna know why. While I have you."

Finally, Toffee stopped, letting out a bored sigh. "I find your ignorance far less endearing than it was only a year ago," he muttered before turning. He stared at her with such stern indifference, it felt like he was looking through her. "I did it because I wanted to. Because it would keep Monsters awake to the reality of your people, rather than letting them fall into an ignorant respite. I wanted to show them the truth: that Mewmans detest us. They fear us. Signing that crone's treaty would have sent us to a slow, agonizing grave of obscurity. So really, I didn't do it for any particular reason, I just saw fit to-"

Star had reeled back and punched seven helpings of home-cooked shit out of him, sending him stumbling back into the sand. She glared at him with a rancid hatred reserved for the worst scum on the earth, and his name was at the top of that list. "You didn't even HAVE A REASON!" She screamed at him. "You killed her because you were scared to admit that there was a better way! That you could have found peace, that Monsters could have tried to win over-"

"I have no desire to 'win over' an abusive overlord."

Toffee pulled himself up and dusted off his suit. His cheek was swollen and evidently refusing to heal. He wiped a smear of purple blood from his mouth and frowned, unwilling to let the brat form her next cohesive babble. "And there is no 'peace' with Mewmans. Not after the atrocities I've witnessed for centuries. You cannot live beside an enemy any more than you can under them. When you've been stepped on for as long as we have, you learn to avoid the boot. Even when said boot is 'sweet, generous, and loving'."

Star inhaled to lay into him, both for the searing animosity she felt bubbling over, and for the relief of some much-needed catharsis. But before she could fire off a single word, she hissed in pain and madly clutched at her head. This time the migraine was a pounding wave of pressure, and this time Toffee moved to keep her standing. He held onto her arm and waited as more visions flooded her head without warrant. A quiet voice with an unrecognizable accent spoke to her, calmly and deliberately.

'Our last goodbye, and our first mistake…'

The idea of Mewmans setting sail from a verdant island came like a passing memory compared to the fear that overwhelmed her next. They were in a storm, their meager ship struck by lightning and a roaring inferno. What few settlers could make it piled into a lifeboat and dropped. The ship and her crew were lost to a grim hopelessness that overtook the world, but a ray of light appeared to pull her back.

In a vast ocean, the waves of a maelstrom crashed and dragged at the little boat before swallowing it whole. The ship was thrust into a chasm that blazed with golden light, the Realm of Magic passing her by with captivating beauty before giving way to a shady swamp, and a lake of golden water. They crawled off the boat and found a wand; the wand to be precise. Things felt… better?

But almost immediately creatures lurking in the darkness of the forest darted in and out of sight. It was utterly terrifying to see such beasts, seemingly of legend, howling and devising their attack. The terrified survivors were all in agreement. There was but one choice: to use their new gift to protect themselves from the Monsters hiding in the dark. A young girl with rosy cheeks held out the wand, there was a flash of blinding pink light, and the world was forever… broken…

Star gasped, lunging back to avoid the light, but Toffee held her still. His expression was patient resolve to her waning fear. As he watched her relax, and while he had her attention, he offered a sample of consolation to her earlier fury. "I am nothing more and nothing less than what I was made to be: a Monster, in every sense that matters." Star watched him carefully. He let her go and turned to resume his walk, this time slower. "This land we share is far greater and uglier than you can possibly imagine. Your people live as mine do: in fear. And while your people were given a tool to help you fight your fears, my people had me to fight theirs. But I won't bother justifying it to a teenager without a clue as to how the world functions."

Star had since resumed glaring at him, and while she kept pace and listened, her expression only soured. "I haven't felt like a teenager in a long time, Toffee," she mumbled. Despite how much she'd lived- despite all she'd done since she'd met Marco- it was too accurate a sentiment. "There's a pit in my heart, an empty part of my soul where someone used to live. You wanna know why?"

At his persistent silence, she pressed on. "Because someone like you came along and stole him from me. Someone with 'good intentions' and 'good ideas' popped out of the ground and started stepping on people to get what he wanted." She had his attention now, even with his back to her as they walked. "I couldn't make the big sacrifice to save Mewmans and Monsters, but he did. And do you wanna know why we're not all dead right now?"

Finally, he looked back over his shoulder with captivation written on his grimace. He inclined his head to bid her to continue.

"Because we had magic. Mewmans, Demons, Humans, and Monsters worked together to stop Vartek. A mess you helped make." She marched in front of him and poked his suit. She narrowed her eyes at him and glared. "I didn't get to pick the easy way. I wanna unify Monsters and Mewmans, no matter how impossible you think that is. You just want an excuse to feel sorry for yourself; a reason to hurt us because you can't see how awesome we are together. How much we can do together. How strong we can be, TOGETHER."

She held his attention for a moment as they stood there. Toffee seemed to give no inclination in either direction, and Star seemed content to just keep glaring. It felt good to put him in his place, to remind him of how wrong he was. His views were barbaric and grim whereas hers were optimistic and peaceful. But apparently, he was too set into his old ways. Too barbed to see the world for what it could be.

"There is no together between our species," Toffee sighed, stepping around her to resume his stride. Star huffed out her frustration before trudging after him. "You're hopelessly puerile and offensively optimistic if you think one good or bad deed is all it takes to change the world. People don't change, and the worst and best of them are always out there to muddy your vision. My methods in the past may have been considered barbaric, but I want to level the playing field. It's easy to claim peace is the best option when you stand on top of everyone else."

Star rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, no more magic, get in line," she lamented. But to her surprise, Toffee gave her a look that suggested annoyance.

"I've been isolated here for six months with no one but myself to blame. Eradicating magic isn't the answer I thought it was. You people are too far gone and too satisfied where you sit to recognize the reality we share: that you… are just as monstrous as we are.

"So what then? Back to war? Is that gonna solve all your problems?" Star demanded, earning a gruff sigh from a now well and frustrated Toffee. He stopped, staring off into space, presumably ignoring her. "I mean come ooon, you lost! Twice! Why not just pack it in and try things my way? What have you got to- hey! Are you listening to me?"

Toffee didn't answer.

"What, you're just not gonna say anything? Don't have any cool calm and collected words to preach about how terrible Mewmans-"

"We're here."

Not by any stretch of the imagination was this over, but both out of curiosity and the notably rigid tone he was taking, Star halted her advance. There wasn't a trace of animosity to those two words and with reluctance, Star moved to stand beside him. What she saw was a sight that almost made her cry: a simple, dinged-up cauldron in the middle of nowhere. The one noteworthy issue? It was completely empty.

"That is the crucible," Toffee noted. "If you want to restore everything, then do it. Otherwise, make yourself comfortable."

She didn't dare take her eyes off the caul- the crucible, for fear that it might disappear. And with it, her one chance at seeing Marco. "What do I do?"

"It's not my mess to clean up. You carried the wand, you had magic, so now you get to fix it."

Star groaned but reluctantly stepped forward to peek into the crucible. It didn't even show signs of soup, much less a spark or chance at dipping down. It was just a cold metal bowl without Glossaryck! What the heck was she supposed to do with a big stupid bowl if she didn't have magic?! The obvious first thought was to stay calm and think things through. If this really was the center of the universe, she couldn't afford to be careless. 'Just replay what happened last time, girl. How we gonna find enough magic to get the soup grooving?' she asked herself.

Last time... There was the dying, there was the toxic slime Toffee left behind, the oversized bowl of soup, dunking her hands in because she was a dipper, and then? Well, the Millhorse. But this wasn't anything like last time. Magic wasn't fouled, it was simply gone. Where it all went, what its current state was, and how the lack of it could be solved was kind of a toss-up. There was the chance it was all still with Vartek and Marco, but if it was destroyed, then it should have been like the whispering spell. If she didn't have a foothold, how could she find enough magic to… dip… down…

Star felt an unchecked chill ride up her spine, far colder than anything she'd felt before. This vision didn't come with pain, flashes, or emotion, it was simply an idea in her head. Glossaryck locked something away with the big guys that made everything. It wasn't just evil like Vartek, it was evil. It was darkness, and the big dudes had to seal it. They made something good, and according to their own laws, something bad had to come with it, for balance or something.

But magic had been isolated.

Magic was being wiped clean.

The seal was broken.

And then? Nothing.

Star stared ahead into the void of the empty Realm when she heard a voice, just as before. A soft collection of words whispered warmly into her ear. Words so powerful it made her knees weak. "You want power… magic… but something cannot come from nothing. To build, you must destroy. To take, you must give… You Bond. Surrender your half…"

Star could say absolutely nothing as the voice said its piece, and faded into nothing. Her bond... It was the last thing she had, and she could feel it being pulled away. Fear gripped her heart like a frozen fist. Her breaths shallowed into gasps until she scrounged up enough resolve to nod in bitter acceptance. "Toffee."

He narrowed his eyes. "What."

"Come here," she muttered. "I can't do this alone."

He didn't bother asking. He stepped over to the crucible and stood beside her. Disdainful to the end, that prick. "If you expect me to provide some riveting answer to all your problems then I'm afraid you're set to be-"

"Shut up."

Toffee could only stare at her. There wasn't an ounce of play to those two words; even he could tell that no quarter would be given for defiance. "I haven't felt… alive… since Vartek took him from me." The corners of her eyes were pooling with tears, but she could fill the crucible with her scathing resentment. "I felt a part of me being ripped out that day. My half of our bond made it feel like I died with him. But even through that, I had something. I had a piece of him, even a hole if that's all I would get. And to get magic back? …I have to let that go. I need to give up the last piece of him I have left."

With a cold apathy he'd cultivated over centuries, Toffee felt her take his hand. She wouldn't look away from the crucible; her grip was wrought iron. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and all but ordered him to "Repeat after me. Together. This is gonna shake everything up, but maybe it'll fix things. Can I trust you to not be a wad when it's over?"

As if he'd just regained his ability to think, Toffee managed a smile. It was enough to give her the creeps. "Have you any other option? Please, I'm open to suggestions."

Star didn't share the same sentiment. "If you make me waste this, I'll find a way to kill you. And believe me, I'll make it last." She glared at him properly now. Her malice fixed directly on him, squarely on his shoulders. "Trust me when I say that it's taking everything I have to keep myself grounded like Marco would. But when I have nothing left to lose... I've lived through too much to have it all stolen by someone like you."

For all his bravado and pageantry, Toffee managed a nod of understanding before the two turned to face the crucible. Star took in an unsteady breath and held it. It was time to either resurrect the blood of the universe or finish it off for good. She let out a much more languid, steadier breath before opening her eyes. They glowed a fierce white to match her cheek marks as she began the spell of creation.

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

As Toffee joined in, there came a warmth to that voice in the back of her mind. As if by the spell itself, she could hear his words as if they were her own. She could feel the way he felt, think the way he did. It was like a crude version of her bond with Marco, except more temporary and repulsive.

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

There was a bubbling pressure building in her chest, but Star felt determined to push forward. Any mistake, any fault to the spell would mean disaster. Toffee must have felt it too, given the way he spoke as if his life depended on it.

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

"Mend the bond and weave the fabric. Sculpt the stone and flow with magic."

Finally, that pressure built up to a head. It was as warm as steam and was threatening to erupt from her chest like an explosion of heat. But before it could boil over, it began to collect. And then it began to move. Star felt the heat and pressure pulling towards her chest; towards the crucible before she watched a small bead of deep red drop forward. It was like a hovering marble of blood, beating like a heart. The last piece of her bond. The last source of true magic in the universe.

It hovered over the pot. Waiting for permission. Waiting for consent.

Star exhaled slowly and deliberately. "It's alright… you can have it. …I'm gonna get him back."

At her permission, the marble dropped rather unceremoniously into the cauldron, dripping against the cold metal interior. Almost immediately the single drop of magic began to fill the crucible, boiling angrily to flood it with more. Within seconds, golden, pure magic began to bubble and roll over the edges of the cauldron, splattering against the sand below and pouring over Star's boots.

Then the show really started.

With a final calm simmer that seemed to soothe the bubbling pot, Star could almost feel its contents searching for a foothold. It was tender and timid, but once it latched on, it released everything it had. A torrential geyser of golden nectar blasted skyward, a fountain of pure magic that burst with a pressure wave that blew Star and Toffee both back. This was the power of the gods…

As the two scrambled back from the fountain, Toffee fell utterly silent as he could only stare. But Star was transfixed on her erupting stepping stone. Surges poured out over the brim of the crucible with enough force to drown the desert around her. Raindrops of magic pelted her skin as the fountain seemed to shoot even harder into the sky. A ripple of white light echoed out from the cauldron and radiated over every surface like a growing wildfire of inundating gold. Wells in the sky ripped open to pour down even more magic.

She had no reason to know how or why this was working, but Star didn't care. When she had Glossaryck back, maybe then she could ask him for more details. But right now Marco was the only thought on her mind. She stood slowly and approached the geyser with care, so as not to spook the tepid fluid gushing out.

Even as it poured towards the illuminating heavens, she could feel it. Some part of her could understand the wild scramble for freedom. It felt energetic, it felt ecstatic, it felt alive. Without provocation or instruction, Star stepped even closer and plunged two hands into the flowing torrent. She reached in and grabbed a tiny blue marble that was begging to be set free. Drawing it out with ease, she realized it was a Millhorse seed, never questioning how or why she knew.

It began to mature and develop into the recognizable shape of a foal in her hands, just like last time. There was a flash of indigo that stole her vision, and then it was over.

The next cohesive recollection she had was opening a portal, flying through, and finding Merina sitting politely in the chief of the Monster villages hut. The woman looked up with a grin not shared by the other Monsters present. "I knew you could do it," she laughed, standing to look Star over. There was intrigue and fascination on her face, which served to make things a little… discomfiting for the rest of their company.

Star, for her part, took a moment to come to terms with the fact that she was in her Butterfly form before smiling back. This was really happening. After six months of dark rooms and fake smiles, it was all coming together. She regarded Bullmond politely before changing back, setting herself nicely on the dirt floor without a pair of shimmering wings behind her. "That makes one of us," she quipped, moving to hug Merina. "Did you find anything?"

After a brief embrace, Merina stepped back and surprised her with a frown. She nodded, but apparently bad news was all she had to offer. "I did. And I'm afraid you're not going to like it."