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Disclaimer: we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.
Chapter 35
Mewni Civil War:
Darkness Falls
XxXxXxXxX
gROVE sTYLE : bUTTERCUP'S gARDEN OF mADNESS
Oblivion stared at the sky.
He spun and roared at Buttercup with unadulterated shock and anger,
"YOU TAUGHT HIM THAT!?"
"I DID NOT! HE SAW ME DO IT—ONCE!"
.
Darcy watched as Marco merely pointed the Traitor's Sword at her.
She scoffed at the frightening name
The next she knew she was flat on her back, the screams of Mewmans ringing in her ear.
She tried to look up.
She blinked.
She could see her headless body lying away from her.
In fact, it seemed that Marco had sent hundreds of castle-cleaving slashes leaving one side of the castle practically open to the elements. And the damages extended well past the castle, it went as far as the horizon, destroying everything in its path.
"WHAT. THE. FUCK. JUST HAPPENED."
Commanding the stolen magic artifacts, she moved headless corpse and re-fused her head back together. She unsteadily stood up after she picked up the Misery Rose, the enraged Dark Knight head snapped to her, his eyes hollowed out, just empty sockets were her answer to her mere existence.
She crick her newly fused neck before she bent down and reattached her dismembered right arm, her Hell Crusader Armor had scarcely saved her from being made into mince meat from the Dark Knight's attack.
Still, Darcy was unperturbed, her insanity blocking any cohesive thought.
Even as the maelstrom of consciousness cried out in fright and warning.
"Is this...all that the mighty Marco can muster?" Darcy taunted, the Elementals, Musica, Higgs and Hestia looked at the clone incredulously as they had sheltered the best they could,
"Pathetic."
Then vile green fire burst all over him.
Fiery green orbs for eyes.
His scar a poisonous green.
An inexplicable fear surged through her.
Like nothing she had ever felt before...
"OH SHIT."
Darcy screamed at the top of her lungs,
"FLY PRINCE CRAVEN! FLEE LIQUID! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
Marco leveled the sword at her.
PeRiSh
And everything in the castle went dark.
The sky darkens as the citizen screamed in terror.
Buttercup and Oblivion looked at the sky in alarm.
The entire Mewni Dimension...began to fall apart.
Whilst everyone cried havoc, their world seemingly about to end, no one spared a moment to witness as the many moons of Mewni flickered, one flashed a sorrowful red.
The Blood Moon Goddess screaming in torment.
Tumbling onto the floor and clawing and pulling on her red velvet hair and cloth covered body, lines of red tore across her flawless skin.
She screamed inhuman misery.
Unable to express even a fraction of her divine despair.
NOOOOO!
NOT LIKE THIS!
NEVER LIKE THIS! WHY!?
The wails of the Goddess fell upon deaf ears, no matter how much she grieved upon her bloody moon...
.
Terrified at the command and the raw display of power from the enraged Dark Knight, Craven and Liquid quickly break a window and scurry away leaving Darcy behind who stood completely rigid at the sight of Marco, his hollow eyes filled with blazing green, falling squarely on her...
"FINALLY! SOMEONE AS POWERFUL AS ME!" Darcy cackled with insanity contradicting how she truly felt; her hands trembling, the rattling of her armor audible to everyone still present.
"DON'T KID YOURSELF ABOMINATION!" a voice hissed.
Hestia tumbled in the darken room, her eyes wide with shock as Marco was engulfed in the Fell he despised, her appearance changed...
We gotta be careful; if something drastic happens to Father in the timelines we jump into we could also change...forever from it.
Yeah...Hestia, you're the universal constant...you're always the safest one to go into these timelines...don't lose yourself in there.
...I wont...I hope.
Hestia gritted her teeth feeling the change to her body, this had only happen a few times and they were all reversible as soon as she left...quickly.
Darcy paid Hestia no mind as she strutted forward, her eyes manic with perverse glee as she readied to do battle even as all her senses screamed to flee, to run far away from the avatar of death before her. She waved her left hand, fingertips glowing before her helm floated back to her and she hid her face behind it once more, to hide how frighten she was.
Marco bore his stare at her.
Darcy slashed out the Misery Thorn viciously,
THORN STORM!
Thousands of thorn spikes raced for him.
Hestia readied to stop with an arc; to cry out to her father.
The spikes sizzled.
Darcy blinked before she screamed as an arc came crashing into her, she clawed herself frantically as the corrosive emerald fire clung to her.
Death is too good for you.
"—!?"
Marco was on Darcy, grabbing her by the helm and crushing it, even deeper cracks showed and what was more frightening even more Fell fire burst from his being. Scorching everything it touched, consumed by an inferno—
Hestia swung hard, sending a splitting gale, obliterating the flames.
Marco's murderous eyes snapped on her.
You dare—
"Of course I would!" Hestia snarled.
Darcy took the distraction made and jabbed the Misery Thorn repeatedly into Marco only to find the blade would melt to the hilt every time she tried after she regrew it. She screamed at Marco, the cacophony of psyches within her doing the same as she relentlessly stabbed at Marco, trying break his grip.
"GET OFF ME MARCO!" Darcy screamed hysterically; his response to her futile actions was merely kicking her head causing it to do a boneless spin.
Marco faced Hestia, Higgs, the Elementals and Musica.
The Fell Flames spreading from him to all over the floor, burning the carpet, drapes, in no time the entire castle would be lit up like an inferno.
Without warning Marco was sent flying and crashing into the floor, everyone blinked at his sudden jettison before his body was pulled upright as if he was some demented puppet.
Darcy stood up, using Primordial magic from her left hand to vaporize the Fell Flames, she violently spat at the Dark Knight,
"Fuck youuu, Marco." Darcy hissed as she quelled the chaotic magic, fixing her cracked helm as the two faced off again.
Hestia slyly pulled out her phone again to assess what the situati—
"AND GOES THE SAME FOR YOU!"
Hestia saw Darcy flashed her disfigured left hand at her; the twisting magic racing for her, it would be easy to
She winced.
Feeling the tendril tattoos surge through her arm, the momentary pain blinded her enough for the blast of magic to blow her phone to pieces before she could react.
"YOU DAMN—URK!" Hestia spun away avoiding the more magical blasts as Darcy fired with reckless abandon, some of which Marco bounced off with his sword. Hestia and the Elementals scattered to flee the dangerous magical rays and the Fell Flames that continued to spread despite Hestia blowing them out.
Hestia tried to pull the Concept to safety.
However Musica merely stood there...
Gazing into the darken sky...twisting abyss...
And a slasher smile spread across her pale face.
"MUSICA!"
Get over here—ACK!
Hestia blocked a blast of magic before grabbing Automata and hid alongside Higgs, who cowered behind the column, tears running down her face as she clutched FrostFlame against her frame.
"OfmygodMarcowhatwhatwhywhathappenedthePrincessshes—"
"Higgs! HIGGS! You need to get out of—!"
"FOUND YOU~!"
The three of them saw Darcy skid across the floor, her magic bouncing off Marco and backfiring on her.
Hestia pulled Higgs back as Darcy sent another blast at them with so much force that it propelled her to roll backwards and end up on her feet. Marco not seeing where Darcy had ended up in the darken castle leveled the sword again and Hestia felt her own Parallel Traitor's Sword grow so heavy to hurt to grasp it.
Marco, he intends to unmake the entire—!
Somewhere in Hestia's panicked mind, she heard her younger self speak…
"Mama, how strong is Papa?"
"Very strong, darling, so very strong; sometimes too strong for his own good..."
Hekapoo gave her a sad smile her eyes matching them as well as she brushed her hair.
Hestia's heart shot to her throat.
Even Darcy in her demented insanity felt it too and became rigid with fear.
Marco intended to bring about the destruction of the Mewni and everything in it.
The sword violently shake, drooling and growing out razor sharp teeth, Hestia swore she saw a tongue slither between the jagged points, Marco opened his maw ready to declare his deathly intentions
ABSOLUTIO
All reservation went out of the window as Hestia threw herself upon him, using her own Parallel Traitor Sword to force the sword downwards to the floor. His hollow eyes bore into her own, her orange eyes welled with hot tears.
Marco swatted her across the castle.
The Elementals quickly rushed in to
Fly across the castle too.
Marco's eyes burned with furious green.
Picking themselves up, they used their powers to bind Marco.
Ice froze his feet. Sand wrapped around his waist. Metal kept his arm from leveling the sword. Crystal
Anyone who wasn't stricken with fear were ready to downright faint at the sight of a skull figure suddenly appearing behind Marco, its right eye empty but its left had a murderous flame lingering in the socket.
What the—!?
Huh!?
Without warning it flexed its massive arms and whatever restraints the Elementals had imposed were suddenly broken apart. The display of raw power made them pale, Jewel tear stricken stumbled back, Musica not watching anything but the sky grabbed her face and laughed manically; adding to the frightening atmosphere.
Hestia roused herself from the floor, feeling a wave of dread suffocating everything around her.
"...no, what is that…?" Hestia wiped the blood from her nose, seeing the skull figure draped behind her father, she snarled and raised her sword even as it grew heavier by the second.
Hestia buckled as the sword felt like a ton in her hands, the Time Cop roared at the top of her lungs, startling the Elementals before she shot at him like a bullet, slamming the sword upwards.
Hestia bared her teeth as Marco looked down at her impassively.
The skull figure gazed down on her and reached for her head, easily dwarfing it.
YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!
YOU—YOU'RE NOT MARCO!
The Elementals slammed into Marco, wincing and writhing as the Fell Flames came out in full force, they shrieked as the flames seared their flesh, Hestia saw this and quickly yelled, "Get away! If you don't you'll—"
HE'LL KILL YOU!
Hestia buckled as Marco began to fight back, forcing the sword down, the skull figure changing targets and slamming its fists into the Elementals. They rose up again and tried to restrain Marco no matter how much the figure battered them, Automata skillfully slid underneath Marco's sword arm and kept him from leveling the sword with the help of steel beams supporting her.
It was short lived.
Automata screamed as Marco's arm erupted in flames, melting the beams and what's more, locked her in place as he drove her into the floor.
Hestia gritted her teeth as Marco continued in his intended path for destruction, hearing the Elementals cry out in agony, writhing in pain as the Fell Flames scar them made her heart ache.
"Marco, no! Stop!" Hestia yelled as Marco increased the pressure, his sword nearly leveling. The Elementals screamed, crying and begging Marco to stop as they flung themselves into the emerald inferno trying in any way to stop the madden Dark Knight, no matter how futile.
MARCO, YOU'RE HURTING AUTOMATA!
JEWEL'S CRYING BECAUSE OF YOU!
IT BURNS, MARCO!
Hestia looked at Marco's darken face, her thoughts racing,
…all this...for her, Father? You'd kill this dimension...with everyone in it...over her?
Why?
Hestia gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing blue before she roared at him, her fire flaring,
FLAME VALKYRIE!
Her bright flames brilliantly lit up the dark castle, the skull figure flinched before it seeped back into Marco.
Hestia sighed in relief
"URGK!?"
The skull figure's fist came flying out of Marco's gut and rammed itself into her own gut, lifting her off her feet before Marco's left hand caught her throat, the blow dispelling her Flame Valkyrie. The Elementals screamed at the sight but for all their outrage the Fell Flame flared out, sending them flying from the two.
Marco poised the Traitor's Sword for her heart.
Hestia's eyes shot wide open.
He—his own—!
"M-Marco!" Hestia struggled, her eyes wide as Marco stared on blankly, it was if he wasn't there at all…
Papa, please!
"This isn't you—urk!" Hestia felt the grip tighten, tears dripped down her face, she could have kicked him, break his arm, but...she saw past his hollow eyes—there she could see his soul entrenched in his pain, his anger, his misery...
She was like that...until he came and saved her.
She couldn't stand to see the man who would be her Father in total despair like this.
She shut her eyes unwilling to witness what would happen next...
"WHY MARCO DIAZ!? WHY DESTROY THE WORLD OVER HER!?"
because all he has ever done the blood on his hands the death of dearest friends years toiled in misery with the smallest glimmer of hope at the end was all for naught Awry And Abandon
Hestia's eyes snapped open at the deathly whisper, the skull figure bore down on her, its eye burning a hateful green.
Hestia felt her gut curdle knowing—she was the only one who heard it speak.
It's pale hands reached for her, Hestia felt hot tears stream down her face at the sight of it and cried out
/SHUT UP! I CAN'T MOURN WITH ALL OF YOU SQUEALING!/
Musica bellowed, her eyes wild as she inhaled and sang out, her vocal cords shredded at the sheer volume,
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Hestia winced at the enraged Concept, hot tears finally spilling down her face and landing onto Marco's eyes. Without warning the skull figure balked, as if it was struck and clawed at the air as it was sucked into Marco's being; he shook and stumbled back letting Hestia free.
He touched his face and looked around wildly as if confounded.
Hestia coughed, rubbing her bruised neck.
His eyes darting side to side at the darken castle.
His mind in a total whirl as the Fell was push violently back, the Fallen Dark Knight stood rigid from the depths of Marco's Mindscape, sensing a new presence, close...so succulently close...
"W-what? What happened—!?"
Marco grunted as Darcy blasted him with her magic.
She looked murderous.
She growled and snarled at the sight of the recovering Marco, more confused what had happened than being attacked by the clone.
"Where did he go!?
WHERE DID THAT BLOODED MARCO GO!?
ANSWER ME!"
Marco huffed as he recovered from the hit, watching as the Fell Flames die out and the castle lighten up revealing the unconscious King, Queen, the trembling Higgs, a girl with inky black hair, the destroyed room, Darcy…
And a fallen Star.
She clutched her wound weakly.
Marco felt his hair bristle, his emotions raging forth.
His memory of what she had done coming back vividly.
"HE'S RIGHT HERE!" he called his sword as he ran straight for Darcy even as she did the same, her left hand radiating with magic; his right hand soon covered in tendril tattoos like Hestia's.
Marco brought the Traitor's Sword crashing down only to find that Darcy had seemingly dodged his emotion-fueled attack despite being weighed down by the ruined Hell Crusader Armor.
"EAT MAGIC DIAZ!"
She opened her left hand and blasts him with magic.
Marco threw the Traitor's Sword cleaving through the magical blast forcing her to sidestep.
"FROSTFLAME!"
Marco recalled his twisted sword and let loose a wicked twister of flaming ice, Darcy readied to leap away again only to find her feet frozen to the floor, her eyes traced a thin icy trail to the Ice Elemental, Yuki glaring at her.
"MARCOOO!" Darcy screeched as she exited through the castle wall.
Marco wanted nothing more to deal with Darcy once and for all but...
He spit at the hole that Darcy made as he raced back to Star, she whimpered as the wound profusely bled, making a bloody puddle.
"Star! Star, it's alright." Marco pressed a hand on the wound, his touch made her ache despite how gentle he was, he called his sword with his other hand and pointed it above his hand, "It'll close, Star, you'll be fine!"
Marco said louder than he intended.
Star looked at him weakly, knowing it was more for himself than her...
"Marco..." Star whispered weakly, Marco's face drained with color as the wound continued to bleed, "...it's okay...it's okay..."
"IT'S NOT OKAY, STAR!" Marco yelled in anguished, Star gulped drily, her breathing labored, "THIS SWORD—IT DID THIS TO YOU! IT'S SUPPOSE TO DO ANYTHING! SO WHY ISN'T FIXING THE WOUND IT GAVE YOU FROM DARCY!?"
Amongst Marco's lamentations, Hestia helped the Elementals to their feet, many of them dreadfully hurt from the Fell Flames. Higgs tentatively helped, unsure if she should be doing so in the first place, she looked at the unconscious Moon and River, surprised they hadn't woken up during the commotion and spared from being trampled upon.
Moku, Raiju and Golem glared at Marco.
Yuki comforted Jewel.
Dunes quietly licked her wounds.
Hestia held onto Automata, sensing her weak stance, the Diaz child looked at all of them before she tried to apologize, hoping to
Save it, lass...you don't have to apologize for a thing.
Least of all you...
On the other hand...Marco, that bastard...
Hestia felt the frigid edge in Yuki's words.
The Elementals gave Marco a dark look.
"I know it's not my place nor should I be the one to say it...but still I..."
She looked at Automata, she was looking over her burn marks, Hestia tried to heal her with her golden flames but to no avail.
The marking looked so unnatural on the Elemental.
"It'll heal." Hestia said firmly, the Elemental smiled at her words.
No, it won't.
Hestia just stood there.
Completely blindsided at the remark.
Automata gestured for her sisters and they gathered around her.
Before Hestia could realize what was going on, they had scoot a lot closer for her liking.
Hestia tiptoe back, they were looking at her critically causing her to sweat.
...you know who we are...don't you?
Who are you exactly?
Hestia bit her lip, if her phone was still operational she could slyly get past this conversation without raising any suspicions but now...
"I'm...I'm Hestia, just your wandering pyromancer vagabond." she said, the Elementals merely stared at her.
Whatever you're hiding, Hestia...I hope its worth it.
"...if you only knew." Hestia thought to herself.
"Don't hate Marco, I'm sure he'll explain himself..."
If we don't kill him first that is.
"Hmph, you wont." Hestia said only to nervously add, "I hope."
Hestia turned back to her father as he grieved at the bleak and sure fate of Star Butterfly, she glanced at the Elementals seeing they were more than happy to let her approach him. Musica didn't even spare her nor Marco a glance as she stared out to the window, watching the sky turn back to normal...it pissed her off greatly.
It no longer matched how she felt.
She blamed Marco without hesitation.
Hestia saw Higgs scurry over to the Butterfly Queen and King, pulling them away from anymore danger like the floor coming apart or what have you lurking about. She felt Hestia's gaze on her and glanced back, her eyes darted to Marco before downwards and continued to pull the two royals to a more secure spot.
Hestia stood there for a moment, knowing she was the only one willing and thereby elected to comfort Marco. She unconsciously grabbed a handful of her hoodie and twisted it painfully.
The pyromancer slowly walked over to the grieving knight, she looked out of the massive hole in the castle the citizens scurrying around at the damages they had suffered, she could see a path leading out of the kingdom. Likely the path Liquid and Craven had taken and Darcy as well if she knew what's good for her.
She stood behind Marco, his hand still pressed on Star's wound, the princess was deathly pale, blinking ever so slowly.
Hestia took a step forward.
"Marco..." Hestia started, she wanted to say something comforting...
"...why did this have to happen."
Hestia masked her discomfort, it was pointless anyways, Marco couldn't even see her face his back turned to her.
"Marco, do you remember anything—anything before Darcy blasted you with magic? Before you sent her flying?"
"...what? Why is that what you're asking—that's not important!"
"It is important." Hestia said firmly, "I know you're hurt, Marco, but—"
Hestia instinctively stopped, Marco's head turned enough to show his eye.
She squeezed her fist and stepped closer, her inky black hair framing her face, "You're not the only one hurt right now Marco...Higgs put her life on the line for you and Star, the Elementals suffered for you...I'm here because of you. I'm not belittling your pain, not degrading or saying you're NOT hurting...right now you don't see us because of Star, but once...when you're ready please see them because they are hurting, too."
Marco said nothing.
He turned back to Star who was looking past him and blinked slowly, as if trying to commit the image of Hestia into memory.
"...who is that girl?"
"She was the one that helped fight Darcy."
Star looked at Marco, her eyes barely open but Hestia knew what she meant, she moved closer, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder.
"I am Hestia: knight of questionable renown."
Star giggled at her introduction before she spasm in pain, Marco fretted over her and Hestia deflated that she caused her pain.
"You—"
"Marco. Before you were yourself again, you nearly destroyed this castle and came so close—so close to killing everyone here."
"I wouldn't—"
"You used the Fell, Marco." Hestia whispered, Marco froze, "You used your sword and nearly bled this dimension, you were ready to kill everyone in Mewni, ready to commit them to death."
Marco looked at Hestia. His eyes narrowed.
"Prove—"
"You don't even remember choking me or burning the Elementals, you used PERISH and nearly used ABSOLUTION, you know what those does...don't you."
Marco's jaw tensed, his eyes wide.
"I...I wouldn't."
"But you did. If you didn't stop then—I shudder at the thought."
Marco looked down, his hand holding Star's.
He brought it to his cheek, feeling the weakening pulse.
And despair.
Again Hestia saw her father wallow in his sadness.
This time he didn't even realize that he nearly killed everyone.
She saw how his sagging shoulders, his body language just exudes his tiredness, his limit already reached with all that has happened since he returned to Mewni.
Hestia closed her eyes for a moment.
He came to Mewni to set things right—now he can't ever do it.
"There has to be just some happiness he can glean from this..."
Hestia opened her eyes.
Making her decision.
She gently shook Marco, he turned back to look at her, tears dribbling down.
"Marco," Hestia gently tucked her black hair behind her softly pointed ears, "I'm your—"
/Not so fast./
Hestia felt disjointed as she felt a temporal shockwave hit her, she looked wildly around.
Everyone was frozen in Time.
She slowly turned back to see Chronos exit out of Marco and stood before her, her eyes hard on her.
The Concept glanced at Musica at the corner before she focused on her, the Diaz child took her hand off Marco and stood up to full height.
/Hello. Niece./
XxXxXxXxX
Oof.
So much to unload.
Marco can't just catch a break with his life.
Mewni truly is a place of tragedies for him, enough to even unleash his dark side upon the dimension.
This chapter had some new additions to it from the 'original' chapter it was spawned from.
Marco in this chapter may be somewhat flippant but he has no recollection of what had happened.
His memory basically start from watching Darcy stab Star then immediately to Darcy blasting him with magic.
He is suppose to come of as 'flippant'. Of course, those who witnessed everything sees him as a total ass hat.
Now, its the fated confrontation between Hestia and Chronos.
And some avid readers already know their dynamic.
This time it's going to be a tad more in-depth.
Songs in order of appearance:
Johnny Cash : You are my Sunshine
Ciao,
I am NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION