Star sat quietly beside Marco's hospital bed, her gaze locked on the rhythm of his shallow breathing.
The injuries weren't life-threatening—just a few fractured bones from the fall. But still, the doctor said he was lucky. One step away from dying, they said.
Marco's parents had left earlier. They cried when they saw him, overwhelmed, confused. They asked Star what had happened, but Star could barely move her lips.
She was sinking. Sinking in a sensation she had rarely felt before...
Guilt.
Guilt twisted inside her like a rusted gear grinding through her chest.
It was all her fault.
She had invited Marco to the Bounce Lounge to impress him, to prove she was cool and spontaneous, not just some girl from another dimension. But she hadn't considered the poison still clinging to her old friendship with Ponyhead. She hadn't noticed the jealousy, the quiet danger. And when the moment came—when Marco needed her—she wasn't there.
She'd left him alone in a dimension he didn't understand, among people he didn't know. And she'd been laughing, dancing—having fun—while he was plummeting toward death.
Why had she been so careless?
Why did she ignore his dinner, that thoughtful meal he made just for her? Why did she choose a wild party over someone who always, always, had her back?
She felt hollow, like the air had been sucked out of her bones. She didn't trust herself anymore. Not with magic, not with choices, not with Marco.
Maybe she needed to leave. Find another family on Earth to stay with. She couldn't face Marco's parents again—not after this. And she had to call her mom. She needed help.
Just as her trembling fingers reached for her wand—
"…Star."
That voice. Gentle. Familiar. Real.
She turned.
Marco was awake, his face lit with a soft grin despite the obvious pain etched into his expression.
"Marco… I'm… I'm so sorry. I…"
He winced, trying to sit up. "Star, what… what happened? I remember Ponyhead pushing me, but…"
"I brought you back," she said quickly, voice cracking. "Told your parents. They took you to the hospital. I—"
She choked. "I didn't know it would turn out like this. I never meant—"
She wiped her tears and stood, unable to hold the words anymore.
"I need to go. I'll leave, Marco. I… I can't stay here after what I did. I don't deserve—"
"Star."
His voice was firm now.
She froze.
Marco's hand rested on Star's shoulder, light as a feather. His voice was calm, weak—but strangely soothing.
"Hey... it's okay," he said softly, looking up at her with a faint smile. "You're here now. That's all I need."
Star trembled, lips parting in shame. "Marco, I—I should've protected you. I left you all alone..."
Marco winced but kept the smile. "You didn't leave me, Star. You trusted your friend. That's not a mistake. That's what good people do."
He let that linger. Let her think about what it meant for her.
"She did something terrible, yeah... but that doesn't make you the bad one. You didn't push me."
Star looked down, unable to respond.
Marco reached, gently brushing her tear-soaked cheek with the back of his knuckles.
"And honestly... going to another dimension?" He gave a soft chuckle, then winced from the pain—just enough to make her guilt flare. "It was... kinda thrilling. Not exactly what I expected from my first interdimensional trip, but... I don't regret it."
"You don't...?"
"No. Thanks to you."
He looked straight into her eyes. "You made my world bigger. Showed me more. Let me matter in a way I never have before."
Star gasped faintly, stunned by the words.
"And hey... I got hurt. But I helped someone. You. That means something to me."
Then, the trap.
"But... if you really think I'd be better off without you, I'll understand. I won't stop you."
He gave her a pause. Just enough rope to hang herself with.
"I just..." He looked away, voice trailing like it hurt to say. "I'll miss having someone who actually sees me."
Star's breath caught.
"No," she said, voice breaking. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
Marco looked back at her—soft, forgiving, and just a little vulnerable.
"Thank you," he said.
Marco hadn't slept.
He rarely needed to anymore. Not when his mind worked better in silence.
He had listened—closely—as Star cried.
She was unraveling faster than he expected. All that recklessness, all that pride… and now, here she was, whispering apologies in the dark like a child who broke a priceless heirloom.
He could practically feel the shape of her emotions, sharp and vivid in the air: Guilt. Shame. Helplessness.
Good.
But not too good.
She was on the edge of making a mistake—not his, but hers. He heard it in the way she whispered things like "I need to leave." Her mother. Escape. Running away from the pain instead of fixing it.
Unacceptable.
This wasn't about punishment. It wasn't Marco's focus to make her suffer as much as she could. It was about planting roots. Deep emotional roots that would tangle around her psyche like vines—roots with his name on them.
If she left now, she'd get help. Find someone older, stronger, maybe even royal, who'd tell her none of this was her fault. Who'd give actual help.
And she might believe it.
He needed to act.
So Marco let his body stir—just enough pain in his eyes, just enough tension in his muscles. A twitch. A groan. A well-timed wince.
He "woke up" slowly, blinking as if dazed, eyes locking onto her tear-stained face.
He played his lines with practiced ease. Every word chosen like a chess piece.
"You're here now. That's all I need."
It disarmed her. He saw her drop her guard the moment he said it.
"You didn't push me."
There. That flash of relief. But also confusion. A seed of doubt in her own judgment.
He fed it.
"It was... kinda thrilling."
This one was trickier. Say it too happily and she'd get suspicious. But say it with a soft wince, and it made him brave. Open. Honest. Human.
And then the clincher:
"But if you really think I'd be better off without you…"
That stung. She wasn't ready for it. He could feel her panic rise. She wouldn't risk feeling the guilt once more. Not today.
He didn't look at her. Didn't need to.
Because right on cue—
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
Hook, line, and anchor.
He turned back to her then, smiling just enough.
"Thank you," he said.
And she believed it.
She believed all of it.
So naive. So pure.
Yet so powerful.
Just like fire.
Ah, how Marco loved her.
Not like a boy loves a girl.
Not like a crush.
Not like a friend.
He loved her like a craftsman loves clay.
Expensive. Rare. Waiting to be shaped.
And he wasn't about to let this one go to waste.
A few days later, Marco had recovered enough to return to school.
The bandages were still visible—neatly wrapped, strategically shown.
He moved with only a slight limp, just enough to draw sympathy without suspicion.
Conveniently, it was also the day their math test results came out.
Star was practically skipping beside him. The relief was obvious in her every movement. The last few days had been heavy, and even though Marco had reassured her, that weight hadn't fully left until now.
But now she smiled. Now, she felt safe again.
Strange—she even felt closer to Marco than before.
As they walked through the hallway, Star blinked and looked around. Something occurred to her.
"Hey, Marco... I barely know any of the Earth kids here. You've gotta introduce me to someone!"
Marco looked at her for a beat, thoughtful.
"Other kids?" he echoed, then gave a small smile. "You'd be fine on your own... but sure. Why not."
Right on cue, a group of students passed by. As soon as they noticed Marco, their faces lit up.
"Marco!"
"Hey, man! You okay?"
"I heard what happened—glad you're back!"
Marco nodded modestly, brushing it off with a practiced humility.
"I'm fine, really. Just a scratch. Anyway—this is Star. She's new."
A ripple of polite hellos followed. Not overly enthusiastic, not cold—just enough to make Star beam.
"Hi, new friends! This place is so cool. I kinda wish my parents had kicked me outta the castle years ago!"
Marco chuckled softly. "Glad you're enjoying it. There's more where that came from."
They kept walking.
Further down the hallway stood two boys—one tall with glasses, the other round and jittery. Ferguson and Alfonzo.
Star spotted the glint in their eyes, the telltale signs of a prank about to unfold. Whispering, giggling—until Marco turned to them with a polite, easy smile.
"Morning, guys."
"…Hi, Marco."
They froze like deer in headlights. The mischief vanished. A nod, a mumble, and they slipped away down another corridor.
Star tilted her head. "What was that?"
"They like to joke around," Marco said smoothly. "But probably not today. Maybe it's you. I mean, who wants to look like a jerk in front of the new girl?"
Star's smile widened. "Wow. Guess I am having an effect."
Just then, a skateboard screeched to a stop in front of them. The rider picked it up fluidly—cool and effortless, with sea-green hair brushing her cheek.
Jackie Lynn Thomas.
She locked eyes with Marco for a heartbeat too long.
"…Hey, Marco."
"Hey, Jackie." He gestured to his side. "This is Star. Just transferred in."
Jackie gave Star a polite smile. "Cool. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too!" Star chirped.
Jackie's gaze lingered on Marco once more—then she tucked her board under her arm and rolled off silently.
Star watched her go.
"She seems cool."
Marco gave a faint smile, not looking after Jackie.
"Yeah. People here are really welcoming… if you know how to talk to them."
Star spent most of math class doodling in her notebook. Earth numbers made zero sense to her. Why were there so many x's? And why wasn't 'pi' something you could eat?
Her brain wandered to more important things—like how to make friends faster.
Meanwhile, Miss Skullnick stood at the front, dropping a stack of papers with a loud thwap onto her desk.
"As you can see, class… most of you did a disappointing job."
Star perked up. She remembered this—some kind of test from last week?
She pulled her paper out, scanned it, and grinned proudly. Big red letter.
"Hey Marco! I got an 'F'! F for Fantastic, right?"
Marco leaned over, his voice gentle but amused. "On Earth, 'F' stands for Fail."
"…Huh?"
"Yeah. Sorry, Star—that's actually the worst grade you can get here."
Star blinked. "Oh." She paused, then brightened again. "So what did you get?"
Marco hesitated just long enough.
"An A. Best possible grade. It's not a big deal. I'm sure you could get it too… if you studied."
Star's eyes sparkled. "Ooh, I want an A too!"
Without a second thought, she stood up and marched toward Miss Skullnick—wand in hand, ready to solve the problem the Mewni way.
Marco sighed quietly.
"…Star, I highly recommend you don't do that."
But she was already so into her actions. Star stood in front of Miss Skullnick's desk, proudly holding up her paper.
"Can I get an A instead?" she asked, her wand already peeking out of her dress. "Please? Pretty please?"
Miss Skullnick narrowed her eyes. "Absolutely not. Grades are earned through hard work, not—"
"But Marco said I could totally get one! I mean, it's just a letter, right? Just take the F and—poof!—make it an A!"
"You're whining about a lousy grade?" Skullnick snapped suddenly, voice rising. "I finally got a guy with a boat, and he left me at the dock!"
Star blinked. The class froze. Skullnick's voice cracked with the kind of frustration that had nothing to do with math.
Then she saw him.
Marco.
He was still seated, his chin resting lightly on one hand. He was smiling.
But his eyes weren't.
That hollow, flickering thing behind them… Skullnick shrunk back almost instinctively.
"Rules are rules," she muttered quickly. "Can't change your grade, sorry. Now return to your seat."
But Star had already tuned out. Her smile widened as she raised her wand skyward.
"Oh, you don't have to be sad! I'll totally find you a new man!"
"Wait—no—"
"MAN MAGNET LOVE STORM!"
With a sparkle, a burst of pink light, and a rainbow-colored pop, the magic struck.
And Miss Skullnick transformed with a BWOOP into a hideous green troll.
Everyone gasped.
Someone screamed.
A few students laughed.
One kid in the back fell out of his chair.
Miss Skullnick clutched her cheeks in horror, looking at her reflection in the window. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"
Star twirled her wand like she'd just fixed a problem, though her expressions weren't showing that same confidence. "Uh...I...might've turned you into a troll by mistake. I mean, it's not that bad."
Marco stood up slowly and approached.
"Star," he said gently, "turn her back."
"But why? I think it kinda suits her. Look at those ears! Like cauliflower! Uh...I'm sure someone will love her like this."
"Turn her back."
The way he said it—calm, soft—but it made Star blink and instinctively raise her wand again.
"Oh...OK."
"LIGHTNING CHANGE-BACK!"
A bolt of light shot through the room—
—and in a CRACK, they weren't in the classroom anymore.
Star blinked.
Marco blinked.
Skullnick screamed.
They were standing in Star's bedroom. Cozy. Girly. Full of stuffed narwhals and floating hearts. Far from school.
Star laughed, looking at her shoes. "Ohmigosh! I didn't know that would happen! This spell could be super handy for skipping stairs! Like, who needs legs?"
Skullnick curled into a ball on the rug, still a troll, still crying.
Marco barely paid her attention. His eyes were already scanning the room, every detail. They...actually teleported in an instant, and he had to make sure nothing was wrong. This situation was unexpected, not calculated. His hand instinctively reached behind to check the small concealed weapon at his belt.
Then he saw it.
A shadow, outside the window. Just at the edge of the trees.
Too big to be human.
And a faint shimmer—like ripples in the air.
A dimensional portal.
His smile faded. His mind clicked into motion.
The monsters. From the first day. They found this place easily.
That means someone is watching her. Spying on her. Watching them.
And if they're watching… they're readying.
His thoughts spun like blades.
Star was still barely in control of her magic; one of his...' teachers' was now a troll, and there was a group of terrorists trying to take Star's wand. It was all chaos. But. There's always a pattern...
Ah.
Marco grinned. He made a plan.