So I decided to make this a two-shot. The dynamic between Moon and Star is just too tantalizing to ignore. Although do I find it a little awkward to write Star, because in the show her voice is so full of inflection that doesn't really come across in writing. Does anyone else feel the same?

Also what actually is Glossaryck? An elemental? A spirit? A blue dwarf? A genie? A metaphor? Some unknowable eldritch horror? I couldn't decide, so I just sorta used all of them at one point or another. Except eldritch horror, because that felt like a bit much. seemed like what Glossaryck would have wanted.

But enough of that, let's do this:

Lunar Eclipse: part 2.

S&DS&DS&DS&D

Moon stood outside the door to Star's room, hesitating. She felt… awkward, out of place. She was a queen, how long had it been since she had to actually knock on someone's door? People came to her. She raised her gloved hand to rap upon the wood and paused.

This was just too surreal. Made worse by the fact that it shouldn't be. She was Star's mother; what was wrong with her stopping by for a visit? She lowered her hand slightly. Was Star even in her room? She was infamous for her tendency to wander across dimensions at the drop of a hat. Perhaps she should have called ahead to check…

"Glossaryck, NO!" Star's voice was muffled by the door, but her frustration came through clear as a bell. "Unhand that tiny shovel! Where did you even get that?"

"Globgooooor!"

There was a loud thunk followed quickly by a girlish shriek.

"Hey! That thing almost took my eye out!"

"Glossarrrrryck! We do not throw things at Marco's face! That's a bad!"

Well… now she knew Star was in her room. But perhaps this wouldn't be the best time… Moon turned to leave.

Then she thought of Eclipsa. She could just picture the former queen's face if she saw Moon standing outside her daughter's door, hemming and hawing like an awkward teenager. That smirk, an eyebrow raised in sardonic amusement; not cruel exactly, but...ugh, just the thought of it made her cheeks flush in humiliation.

She was the queen, embarrassment was beneath her, or at least, it should be. Riding on that surge of pride, Moon turned back and gave the door three sharp knocks. There was silence within for a moment, then the door shook under an assault of frantic scratching.

"Globgor!"

"Oh my gooood." She heard Star groan. "Just a sec! I'll be right with you! Marco, grab him while I get the door."

"How am I supposed to do that? He'll just kick me if I try."

"Then grab him by the legs! duh. Here, I'll show you." There was the sound of a struggle and several wild calls of 'globgor', but after a few moments, the door opened just a crack and her daughter peaked out. "Hey, I'm kinda busy—Mom?" Star blinked.

"Hello Star," Moon smiled warmly. "May I come in?"

"Uhhhh…" Star hesitated, looking as though she'd been asked to surrender her banjo or something equally ridiculous. "I guess?" it was more of a question than invitation.

Moon suppressed the urge to frown. Was it really that strange for her to want to visit?

Star opened the door a little farther. Then there was a sudden shriek of pain, followed by a triumphant scream of globgor. Moon blinked as a blur of blue came dashing out the doorway and climbed up the front of her dress.

"Yes, Glossaryck?" Moon raised an eyebrow, unperturbed by the tiny man-thing's sudden closeness. "May I help you?"

Square purple pupils stared at her for a moment, then the djinn raised a hand and pointed it at her face. "Glob," he said thoughtfully, then shoved the finger up his nose. "Gor." The tiny creature used Moon as a springboard to launch himself down the hall, his disproportionately long legs a blur.

"NO!" Star's wail took Moon back in time to Star's youth. Was that what she had sounded like when toddler Star had climbed up on top of a warnicorn and started riding it into the distance? Equal parts rage and despair, overshadowed by an exhaustion so deep it resonated in one's bones? Star threw the door open, "Hang on a sec, Mom. If he gets away, he'll be gone for weeks."

Moon sympathized. She put a hand on Star's shoulder before the girl could give chase. "No need, my dear." She pointed at the fleeing genie with her free hand and flicked her finger.

Just before he could round the corner, Glossaryck lifted off the floor. His legs kept pumping for a few seconds before coming to a slow stop. He looked at the floor, his feet, then back at them. "Globgor?"

Moon curled her finger delicately and the magic spirit came gently soaring back down the hall. "There you are, Star."

Star lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Moon's waist and squeezing as her body sagged nearly to the ground. "Thanks, Mom." The sheer relief in her words was so thick, you could practically swim in it. In fact, that seemed to be what Glossaryck was doing. The blue dwarf was doing the breaststroke, swimming slowly through the air around them.

Moon patted her back gently, "You're welcome." She said, an oddly warm sensation spreading through her. It had been awhile since Star had hugged her like this. It felt… nice.

Star let go and turned back to her doorway, "Marco! What gives?" she demanded, "I thought you were holding him."

"I was!" the young boy complained, rubbing his hand. "But then he bit me! Why are his teeth so sharp? Literally the only thing I've ever seen him eat is pudding. You don't need sharp teeth to eat pudding!"

"I'm afraid Butterflys down the centuries have tried, and failed, to apply such logic to Glossaryck, Marco," Moon answered kindly. "It's better to just accept it and move on.

"Sure, whatever," Marco grumbled. "I still think it'd be fine if he got lost for a few weeks. Maybe he'd find a vat of pudding and drown in it? it's how he'd want to go." Moon raised an eyebrow and Marco froze as he realized who he was talking to. He snapped to attention, "Sorry, butterqueen Fly." His eyes went wide. "I mean, your Moonjesty. No, wait! I mean-"

"It's fine, dear," Moon smiled disarmingly. He was far from the first person to get tongue-tied speaking to her. Being a queen had that effect. It had been awkward and embarrassing at first, but over the years she'd gotten used to it and, although she'd never admit it, took a certain pleasure in watching how spectacularly she could get nervous young men to stick their foot in their mouth.

Moonjesty was a new one. She'd have to remember it.

"So, uh… Mom," Star said, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking on the balls of her feet. "You're visiting. What's uh… what's the occasion? Has something happened?"

"No, nothing is the matter." Moon shook her head, the frown being a little harder to hide this time. "I just wanted to speak with you, Star."

"Um… okaaaaay?" Star stared at her, then looked around. "Hey Marco, could you?"

"Sure," the earthling nodded. "I'll just take Glossaryck for…" he stared at the blue man, who was now making noises like an airplane, while doing barrel-rolls through the air. "a walk, I guess." he looked at Moon. "How long is he going to be floating?"

"It should last for an hour, dear." The sheer relief on the boy's face as he clipped a leash onto the tiny knowledge elemental made Moon smile.

"See ya later, Star," Marco waved, pulling Glossaryck behind him like a balloon. As he shut the door, it was just possible to hear his voice. "Now it's my turn to drag you around, ya little gremlin."

As the boy's gloating vanished into the distance, silence fell between the Butterflys. Mother and daughter staring at each other as awkwardness rolled in like fog.

"Sooooo…" Star said. "You're visiting me in person…" she repeated. "that's nice." She trailed off.

"Indeed." Moon nodded, she tried to smile, but felt certain it came out more like a grimace. Now that there was nothing to distract her, Moon couldn't think of anything to say. How did mothers normally talk to their daughter when there wasn't a life-threatening situation going on? She… couldn't actually remember talking with her own mother like this.

"My room's a mess," said Star, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Sorry about that…" Moon glanced around, Star's bed was covered in a tiny hand and footprints, weapons, clothes, and other, less identifiable, things covered the floor, the carpet was half torn up. Moon's eyes lingered on a what looked like a garden trowel, embedded in the wall handle-first.

"Is it?" she asked. "I thought it always looked like this."

"Hey! I keep my room clean!" Star protested.

"By shoving everything in the closet?" Moon asked, brow raised.

"Oh. You, uh, know about that."

Moon smiled. She used to shove everything under her bed, but Star didn't need to know that. "It's fine, dear, I understand. Glossaryck?"

"Glossaryck," Star groaned. Nothing else had to be said, his was a name that had been spoken by Butterfly women for generations in a varying mix of appreciation and frustration. "How are things going with him, by the way?" Moon asked. "Has he shown any semblance of his old self?"

"Well, he's driving me up the wall," Star muttered. "So that hasn't changed."

"But apart from that?"

"Nothing." Star sighed. "Was that what you wanted to ask me? Cause you could have just called."

"No, there are… other things I wish to talk about," Moon said, frowning as the fog of awkward tension rolled back in.

` "Okaaay," Star shuffled her feet, clearly feeling it as well. "You… wanna sit down?" Star gestured toward the bed with her wand, then realized how filthy it was. "Oh, hold on… I can fix that." She pointed her wand. "Bed-Cleaner Kitten Laser!" a beam of light shot out of her wand, shooting towards the furniture and meowing furiously. It struck the bed and promptly disintegrated it. "Oh, come on! Really?" Star groaned, shooting her mother an overly wide grin. "That hasn't happened in weeks. I swear."

"I'm sure," Moon answered. "Allow me," she waved her hand and the dust gathered lifted off the floor and began to whirl, after a moment the winds parted, revealing Star's bed; whole, clean, and neatly made.

Star's jaw dropped, "how did you do that?"

Moons raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say Glossaryck was teaching you to, 'dip down for the chunks'?"

"I mean… he was, but I've only made it happen once or twice on accident" Star admitted, rubbing her arm, "After that I…may have stopped trying?" she grinned sheepishly.

Moon sighed. "Well I wouldn't worry about it too much. I didn't get the hang of it until I was nineteen, after all," Moon waved the issue away. "Some things only come with age."

"If you say so," Star skipped over to the bed, and plopped onto the bed. then she froze, "oh my gosh." she sprawled herself out across the mattress and waved her arms, making a snow-angel with the sheets. "My bed has never been this soft before. It's like I'm floating on a cloud. Except I've done that. And this is better!"

"A queen can hardly do a good job running the country if she isn't well rested." Moon answered primly. Star popped her head out from under the covers, and Moon's smile slipped away at the sly look on her daughter's face.

"Sooooo… you're telling me you used the magic of our ancient and honored bloodline to develop the fluffiest mattress ever?"

"Erm…" Moon coughed, looking away. "yes. I suppose you could say that."

"Scandalouuusssss!" Star laughed, a grin lighting up her face like the sun. she leaned back, rolling over herself until she was sitting upright. "Well, don't just stand there," she patted the edge of the bed. "Park your butt down, oh great Mattress Queen` Realm." Moon frowned at the crude language, but chose to ignore it this time.

"So," Star said once Moon had sat down on the edge of the bed. "What are those 'other things' you wanted to talk about?" Star asked eagerly.

Moon opened her mouth and realized that she had absolutely no idea.

What was she supposed to say?

'I'm proud of you?'

Well, it was true. Star had changed after the incident with Toffee. She had grown, matured slightly. Moon had watched in amazement as Star started to get involved in the politics of the many kingdoms of Mewni. She had become a regular sight at the many boring meetings and conventions royalty had to go through. She still complained about them, of course, but she no longer actively tried to escape them.

It made Moon proud, but could she really just come out and say that? How awkward would that be?

'I just wanted to spend time with you'?

What? Like a playdate? The mere thought of it felt absurd.

"Uh, Mom? Hello?" Star waved a hand in front of her face. "Mewni to Moon? Are you in there?"

Moon blinked. "What?"

"You didn't answer me. You've just been staring at me with your mouth open. Not gonna lie, kinda creepy. What's going on? Do you wanna talk or not?"

"Eclipsa," Moon blurted.

"Uh…what?" Star blinked, tilting her head suspiciously. "What about her?"

Well, since it was already out in the open, she might as well go with the truth. "I, er… wanted to talk to you about her."

"Oh." The word came out flat and dry as the Mewman Desert of Death.

Moon's heart sunk as the excitement drained from her daughter's eyes, no doubt bracing herself for an ensuing argument. "No, Star, wait." Moon backpedaled desperately, the last thing she wanted was to get into another fight. "It's not what you think."

"Really?" Star rolled her eyes. "You mean you're not about to tell me to stay away from her? you're actually going to let me make my own judgements?" Moon wilted, feeling the situation spiraling downhill with wild abandon.

"No. Star, that's not…"

"Oh?" Star's eyes had gone half-lidded. "Are you going to tell me that you've decided that maybe, just maybe, we should wait until someone commits a crime before imprisoning them forever? That maybe you should actually talk to her first, before—"

"I have spoken with her!" Moon interrupted, raising her voice.

Star blinked, "wait… you have? As in, like, recently?"

"I spoke to her less than an hour ago." Moon sighed.

Star blinked again, "And?" she asked, skepticism returning as her surprise waned. "What did you guys talk about? Did she steal your soul? Or drown a bunch of puppies? Did the commission put you through all those dumb tests to check for evilness?"

"Star…" Moon pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "I will not deny that what you have said has merit," Moon said slowly, taking care to pick her words. She needed to Star to listen, and all it was take was single poorly worded phrase and the girl would tune out everything else. "And believe me, I understand your frustrations: You feel like nobody is listening to you. That every adult in the kingdom is talking over your head."

"If that's true," Star said, crossing her arms. "Then why aren't you listening."

Moon shot her a flat look. "In case you had forgotten, we are holding a trial for her, Star."

"And I bet it's going to be super fair." Star grumbled.

"I'll have you know that I have every available scribe combing the royal archive for all records of Eclipsa's rule. I have also sent for eyewitness accounts of her deeds. There are a number of creatures around Mewni old enough to remember her time on the throne, but once people reach a certain age they tend to keep to themselves, so finding them takes time."

"I, uh…didn't know that."

"You didn't ask." Moon said bluntly. "Nonetheless, that is not the point. You wish to know why I seem to be ignoring you?" Star nodded, "it is because you don't understand how dangerous she really is, and refuse to take it seriously when you are told."

Star groaned. "Mom, seriously? Of course I get that she's dangerous. But, like, so are lots of people. Tom's dangerous. I'm dangerous, remember that time I set the castle on fire? And have you ever been to the Rich Pigeon's castle?" Star shuddered. "Tiny birds have no right to be that bloodthirsty." she shook her head, and crossed her arms. "So far, the only actual thing I've seen her threaten is our chocolate supply. Seriously Mom, no offense, but I think the only reason you think she's dangerous is because everyone said she was."

Moon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "… is that so?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Well, I'm afraid you are very much mistaken." Moon said simply. "I would say that, in all likelihood, I understand Eclipsa's power better than anyone else in the kingdom. You may have read her chapter, but I've actually used her magic."

"But you chose to do that." Star pointed out. "That's not Eclipsa's fault."

"I did," Moon nodded. "But Star, why something is done, does not change what it does. Her magic is dangerous. And when I say dangerous, I do not mean that it is exciting." She added, shooting Star a pointed look. "Her magic hurts people. Not just others, but the caster as well."

Moon pulled off her glove, revealing her darkened veins and tainted skin.

"Look at this, Star. This is what her magic did to me. The day after I cast her spell on Toffee, my hands turned black and have been that way ever since. I have had to live with the taint of her magic for before you were ever born." Moon said quietly. "It is the first thing I feel when I wake up, and the last thing I know before I fall asleep."

Star had gone quiet, her eyes staring at the purple corruption uncomfortably. "Mom, I…" Star swallowed. "Does it hurt?"

"Hurt? Not exactly…" Moon admitted. "It might be more accurate to say it doesn't feel like anything. I have not been able to feel anything beyond my elbows in decades." The queen sighed. "It's like my hands don't belong to me anymore…" Moon stared at her hands, watching the unfeeling fingers flex to her will. It was so easy to imagine them belonging to someone else.

When she was younger, she used to have nightmares that the blackened hands would reach up in the night and strangle her in her sleep. After such dreams, she'd needed to chain them to her bedpost before she could bring herself to sleep again.

…But that was another thing Star never needed to know.

"It was Eclispa's magic that did this to me." Moon repeated. "I know that doesn't make it her fault." Moon looked away, thinking back to all those years ago when she had first met the dark queen. "She did ask me if I was sure I wanted this and I did. I don't want her imprisoned out of revenge…" Moon trailed off, frowning at her hands.

"But you do want her imprisoned," said Star.

Moon put her hands down and looked Star in the eye. "Eclipsa is more powerful than me." She said bluntly. "Our family is remarkably powerful. But the truth is, as far as Butterflys go, I am average at best."

"Oh come on, Mom!" Star blurted. "Don't you think that's a little much. I've seen the things you can do. You're really powerful!"

"Am I?" Moon raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, when you had the book of spells, did you ever notice that I have no chapter of my own."

Star blinked, her brow furrowing.

"You haven't, because I do not have one." Moon said sadly. "I am not like you, Star. I've never developed my own magic, never truly explored the depths of our family's potential. Everything I've ever done, was walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. I am not talented; merely experienced. But Eclipsa is both." Moon shook her head, "If Eclipsa were to set her sights on Mewni. I do not know if I, you, or the commission would be able to stop her."

"So yes. I want to see Eclipsa imprisoned again, it would be safer for everyone. It may not fair, it may not be just. But I am a queen, and sometimes we have to make decisions like that." She looked at her daughter, her wild, frustrating, rebellious, wonderful daughter and raised her blackened hand again. "Should I wait, Star? Should I wait until the entire kingdom looks like this? should I wait until you look like this before I act?"

Star blanched, "I… Mom…I didn't mean…

"You don't need to say anything," Moon sighed, slipping her hand back into her glove. She cupped her daughter's cheek with the covered hand. "But you do need to understand. You need to understand why I'm acting the way I am. You may have to make such decisions one day."

"Mom…" Star raised her hand and clasped Moon's hand in her own. "I'm sorry."

Moon smiled sadly and patted her hands. "It's alright, dear." They sat in silence for awhile, until Star spoke again.

"Mom?" she asked quietly. "Your hands; are you sure there's nothing we can do about them?"

"Oh… well, I was." Moon said slowly. "But now I'm not so sure."

"Wait, really?" Star pushed Moon back to arm length. "What you talkin' bout, Mama?"

"When I was speaking with Eclipsa, she told me something. She told me that there was a spell in her chapter that could cleanse the corruption of her magic."

"That's great!" Star beamed, then froze. "But… the book burned up." She added, her face falling.

"It did. But you read her chapter, did you not?"

"I mean… read is a strong word." Star looked away sheepishly. "A lot of it wasn't really my thing, so I sort of skimmed it instead."

"But you saw each page, correct? Eclipsa said it was on the last page." Star's forehead scrunched up in thought.

"…yeah. Now that you mention it, I did see something about cleansing magic in there… but," she sighed. "I don't remember the words though."

"Well that's not a problem, as long as you have seen the page, I should be able to project it from your memories using the wand."

"Really?" Star's grin returned with double the force, her cheeks lighting up with sudden glee. "Mom, that's amazing!" She snatched the wand from where it lay on the bed's covers and shoved it into Moon's hand. "Come on then!"

There was a flash of light, and the dainty wings vanished from the wand, replaced by a crystalline heart. Moon allowed herself a smile, it was nice to see it again. Like the embrace of an old friend.

Star jumped off the bed, landing in front of Moon and jumping up and down. "Come on, Mom, project away! show me some of that come-with-age magic you keep talking about!"

"Oh… very well." Moon smiled. "I need you to picture the page in question in your mind."

"You got it!" Star shut her eyes tight, shaking from the effort of recollection.

"You don't need to try that hard, dear." Moon said, her daughter's enthusiasm brining a smile to her face. "just picture it lightly, and the wand will do the rest. It's connected to your memories, after all."

"Oh yeaaaaah." Star nodded. "I remember that place. Suuuuper creepy."

Moon paused. "You've… been inside the wand." she asked flatly.

Star froze in her typical caught-in-the-act look. "Uh… Glossaryck let me do it."

Moon raised an eyebrow. "And did you enter it before or after he told you it was dangerous and that I didn't want you going in there yet?" Star didn't say anything. "After, of course." Moon sighed.

"Okay, in my defense." Star said, holding up her hand. "I came out fine, and I totally understand why you didn't want me going in there until I was older. I'm not doing that again. Promise."

Moon stared at her, considering if it was even worth the energy to lecture. But… She was fairly certain Star hadn't been erased from her personal timeline, so it was probably fine. Moon sighed again. "As I was saying, just picture the page."

Star looked relieved. "On it."

Moon gave the wand a twirl and tapped the crystal against Star's forehead. There was a soft pulse of light and a spectral image of the lost book of spells appeared between them. "There we are."

"Really? That's it?" Star raised an eyebrow, staring at the book. "Well… good job, I guess."

Moon rolled her eyes. "Not every spell needs to explode, dear."

"The fun ones do." Star muttered. "Well, anyway, let's crack this bad boy open!" she clapped her hands together. The projected tome opened, the pages flipping wildly until they stopped on the chained skull of Eclipsa's chapter, a tiny spectral key appeared before the book. It slid into the lock and opened it. The pages of the book flipped again, stopping on a page covered in mix of words and pictures of fire.

Star grinned and turned to her mother. "There ya go, mom. One cleansing spell, ready for reading." She paused, "Uh… Mom?"

Moon shifted uncomfortably, looking at a point just above the book. "I… I'm not sure this is such a good idea, Star."

"Because this is from Eclipsa?" Star asked flatly, rolling her eyes. "Didn't you say why something is done, shouldn't change what it does? If that's true, it also shouldn't matter who made this spell, it'll still do the same thing."

"Yes, yes. You can throw my words back in my face all you wish, Star. But that doesn't change the fact that this isn't a good idea. Casting one of Eclipsa's spells already caused me no end of trouble. Casting another hardly seems like a good solution."

"Well, we've already come this far. Seems like kind of a waste to not go all the way." Star answered crossing her arms.

Moon snorted. "Such a reckless policy may serve you well as a princess, but I do hope you'll abandon it once you become queen."

"Okay, Mom," Star sighed. She joined her mother on the bed again and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think we should have a talk about risks."

"Star—" Moon began.

"Hup up up!" Star shoved her finger in Moon's face, cutting her off. "I listened to you. Now it's your turn. I know you've taken risks before, but as you literally just implied; a queen can't be reckless. So I think you need a refresher course."

Moon opened her mouth to reply, then shut it with a sigh, "Very well."

"Okay. Now, I take risks, like, all the time. Literally, all the time. As in, there've been days where I wake up, take out a pair of dimensional scissors, cut a hole to a random dimension in the floor, and roll off into it. Just to see where that takes me. I've found a lot of cool stuff that way. So when I say I know a thing or two about risks-"

"Star, that's not taking a risk, that's acting with reckless abandon," Moon deadpanned.

"…Okay, fair." Star admitted. "But that was just one example. So let's look at it another way. What will happen if you don't cast this spell." She paused for a second, then threw her hands in the air. "Nothing! Nothing is what will happen. Nothing will change. You won't be in danger and your hands will look like you high-fived a sludge monster for the rest of your life. Now, what could happen if you do cast the spell? It's possible it could do exactly what it says it will do. Your hands will look just like mine." Star held up her hands and wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "Not only that, but you'll know the spell works. So If Eclipsa goes off the deep end and corrupts everything. You'll have an idea how to fix it. Isn't that worth knowing?"

Moon nodded reluctantly, acknowledging her daughter's argument. Still, there was another important point she had yet to address. "And if it doesn't work as intended?"

"Well… okay. That could be bad. But let's assume the worst for a moment. Let's assume Eclipsa told you about this spell so you would cast it and hurt yourself. Why would she do that? Aren't you going to be one of the judges at her trial? Hurting you would be, like, really dumb. She might as well hang a sign around her neck saying: 'Hey world, here I am. Crystallize me!"

Moon smiled despite herself. It was a rather funny image.

"Look, I get that you're worried. Believe me, I understand why she scares you now and I won't pretend there aren't any risks. But you're Moon the Undaunted. You can take anything some washed-out queen of darkness can dish out, I know it. She got taken down by Rhombulous, mom." Star threw her hands into the air. "Rhombulous. You know, that guy who gets into arguments with his own hands?" Star scoffed. "If you don't do this, all we'll have is doubts about what would have happened. But if you do it, one way or another we'll learn a lot. And as someone told me recently, all knowledge is good knowledge."

"And who was that?" Moon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh…" Star hesitated. "I, um, can't remember. But it's not important. I think you should cast the spell. And if anything goes wrong, well…" Star narrowed her eyes, curled a hand into a fist, and smacked it into her palm. "I'll personally march down to the gardens and beat Eclipsa with a stick until she fixes it."

Moon snorted. She couldn't help it, the mental image was just too absurd. But there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Star meant every word.

"So Mom, whadya say?"

Moon looked at her daughter, then to her wand, and then at the spectral image of the spell book. It was still a dangerous idea…but, Moon flexed her fingers, still feeling that dreadfully familiar nothing from the blackened digits. The thought of being able to feel with them again…

Moon made her choice.

"Let's do it." She said setting down the wand, and pulling off her glove once more and pushing herself to her feet.

"Alright, Mom!" Star cheered, throwing her hands into the air.

"But first things first." Moon pulled out her personal pair of dimensional scissors. "I'd rather not do this spell here. We may be taking a risk, but that's no reason to be reckless. Luckily, there's a much safer place for this." She cut a hole in the air, making a swirling portal. "Come now, dear, let's be off."

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone!" Star held up her hands. "You actually want me to come with you." She pointed to herself. "Me. Like, you're not about to tell me to stay here?"

"I do." Moon nodded, then smirked slightly, "And not just because I know you'll follow me if I don't bring you along. If you don't see what happens, how will you know if you need to introduce Eclipsa to that stick?"

Star grinned. "Well, when you put it that way, let's go!" she leapt through the portal and Moon followed.

They stepped out into a world of monochrome. The ground was white, the sky was a pitch black. The air was lit by a mist rising from the ivory ground, casting everything into a grey haze.

"Uh… well this place is… interesting..." Star commented, making it clear she meant something quite the opposite.

"I know, dear. But the dullness is exactly what makes it safe. Close your eyes and tell me what you feel."

Star did so. "I, uh, don't feel anything."

"That is because there's nothing to feel. This is a null dimension. It has no magic of its own. No life. No anything. Making it a rather safe place to practice potentially dangerous spells."

"Huh…" Star looked around. "That's kind of neat, I guess."

"Indeed. Now, here. Take these scissors." Moon tossed her pair to Star. "I want you to have them at the ready while I cast the spell. If it looks like anything is going wrong. I want you to flee."

"Wait, what?" Star demanded.

"If this spell is truly dangerous, then the safest way to contain it is to trap it in this dimension." Moon explained. "There's no magic here for it to corrupt, no life for it to hurt. This way, if something goes wrong, you will know and can tell the high commission." She shot Star a pointed look. "Can you do that, Star? I'm trusting you with this."

"I, uh…" Star looked like she wanted to complain, but nodded. "Sure."

Moon raised an eyebrow, not sure if she believed that. But… she trusted Star would make the right decision. "Very well, now do be quiet. I need to concentrate." Moon took one last look at her daughter, drinking in the sight in case it was the last chance she'd ever have.

Star gave her a double thumbs up.

Moon smiled, and turned to the spectral book. There was a single word inscribed at the top of the page, outlined by drawings of flame:

Absolution.

…Was she really going through with this? the voice of doubt whispered portents of doom in her mind. Moon quashed them. Yes. Yes she was, she had already made her decision and she would no more back down than she had all those years ago when she had confronted Toffee's army.

She held the wand up and began to speak.

"From the deepest depths, I call, to save me from the final fall." She intoned, her voice ringing unnaturally loud in this quiet dimension.

"I sinned, I raged, I sold my soul, I crushed my heart to burning coal." She thought of Toffee, of her mother, of what she had done to save the people of Mewni.

"But now I wish to walk in grace, so to the light I raise my face." she thought of what her actions had cost her, the tingling ever present nothingness that began stretched through her veins.

"Now set the sparks and lay the blame, I'll throw myself upon the flame." She thought of Star, of River. Of the life she had built from the ashes of her childhood.

"Recant the dreaded oath once sworn, and burn away this crown of thorns!" She thought of Eclipsa.

Then of nothing.

She fell silent, the words of the spell echoing around the empty plane. For a heartbeat, she thought it hadn't worked, then the wand began to glow. It lifted itself from her hands, floating off into the air. The glow within it grew brighter, compressed itself into the tip, then left the wand completely.

The wand fell, clattering against the ground as the ball of light pulsed, casting dancing shadows in the swirling gray fog. Two wings emerged from the ball, a flickering pair of butterfly wings, and it flapped down. Daintily hovering before Moon, it hovered there, waiting for her.

Slowly, tremulously, she raised her hands and cupped the ball of light. It felt… warm. The wings stretched out, wrapping around her blackened hands in a gentle caress that made Moon think of her mother.

Then the wings burst into flame.

Moon tried to flinch back, but the flames coiled around her and spread down her arms, following the channels of her blackened veins. Then something seemed to give and the fire poured inside.

Moon screamed.

And knew no more.

"MOM!" Star screamed, horror bubbling up inside as her mother dropped like a writhing ragdoll as flames raged across her arms.

She dashed across the white ground, stopping just short of her mother. "No no no no no no no!" she uttered, jumping from one foot to the other impotently. What should she do? What should she do? WHAT SHOULD SHE DO!

She hadn't actually thought the spell was going to hurt her mom. She'd just thought… she didn't know what she'd thought. It didn't matter what she'd thought! Her mom was in pain and she didn't know what to do.

She'd promised that she'd run if things went bad. Yeah, right. Like she was going to abandon her mother. Her eyes landed on the wand, she snatched it up and pointed it at the fire.

What was she supposed to do now? A narwhal blast was hardly going to fix this.

An ice spell? Would freeing her mother solid help the situation?

Then Moon fell still and Star froze, unable to move as the fire began to shrink, two ball of fire concentrated at the elbows, then slowly moved down the arms. The fire stopped when it reached the fallen queen's hands, it trembled, as though something was pushing it back. Then, in a final surge, the flames pushed down to the fingertips.

Two balls of inky purple shot out of the hands, coming together and fleeing upwards away from the body. The fire leapt after it, slamming onto the black ball and swallowing it completely.

The fire pulsed once, twice, then winked out.

Star stared blankly for half a moment then dove for her mother. Star reached for the throat, scrabbling away at the layers of fancy collars and jewelry. "Come on. Come on. A pulse. A pulse. Show me a pulse, don't be dead, don't be dead. Mommy, please don't be dead. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" Star got her fingers just under the chin and fell silent, desperate to feel anything. For a single, horrible moment, there was nothing. And then:

Thump. Thump.

Star nearly broke down in tears of relief at the soft bu-dump beneath her fingers.

"Okay. You're alive. Good. That's good." Star rambled, her mind running furiously as she thought about what to do. She glanced at her mother's arms, there weren't any burn marks, no purple either, just smooth, unblemished skin.

Had the spell worked? It… looked like it.

"Whatever," Star shook her head. "first thing first," she muttered. "Let's get you out of here, mom." Star slashed open a portal to her room, hooking her arms underneath Moon's shoulders, Star dragged her through. "Oof," Star groaned, once she'd hauled Moon onto her bed. "Either that dress weighs fifty pounds, or you gotta lay off the corn." Star giggled, but quickly sobered.

Moon looked for all the world like she was sleeping, and Star hoped that was all it was, but couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. She still wasn't sure what to do. Should she fetch someone? But who? Glossaryck? Yeah, right. Like he'd be any help what with that whole I'm-a-dog shtick he had going on. The castle's medical staff weren't much better. Star had visited them a lot, and knew they were only helpful for physical injuries. Which did not include flaming magic butterflies burning people from the inside out.

…Eclipsa?

Star bit her lip. If there was something specific wrong, then Eclipsa would be the only one around to know what. But was fetching her a good idea? If she had faced this dilemma half an hour ago she would have said yes. But… hearing her mother scream like that. It had been awful, and Eclipsa had pushed her mom to this. Star narrowed her eyes.

Eclipsa had to have known the spell would work like this.

Standing around waiting wouldn't help and wasn't her thing. Better to take action.

Star turned and marched to the door, snatching a club off her wall. Eclipsa would give her some answers, one way or another.

She had just put her hand on the doorknob when a faint voice stopped her dead.

"…Star?"

Dropping the club, Star zipped back to the bedside. Moon's eyes were open and looking around blearily. "Mom? are you okay?" Star said frantically, nearly throwing herself on the bed. "I'm here!"

"I can see that, dear." Moon smiled weakly. Reaching up she cupped a hand against Star's face, then froze. "My…my hand." Moon gaped at the perfectly ordinary skin.

"Are they okay? do they hurt? Can you feel them?"

"They… they did hurt," Moon answered, lifting her other hand and flexing her fingers slowly, wonder filling her eyes. "But now they don't. They… they," she clasped them together. "I can feel them!"

"That's good," Star sighed in relief. "Mom, I'm sorry! I didn't actually think-"

Moon shushed her. "Never mind that now." She reached out with both hands and pressed them against Star's face. She held them there for a long while, then something behind her eyes seemed to crumple.

"Mom?" Star yelped, panic rising as tears started to cut tracks through the diamonds on Moon's face. "Mom! What's wrong?"

"Do you know?" Moon said, the softest smile Star had ever seen rising through the tears. "I've never actually held you with my bare hands."

"I- what?" Star blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"When you were born, I would only hold you when I was wearing gloves." Moon answered, somber joy filling her voice as she held Star tighter. "You were so perfect, dear, so pure. I couldn't bear the thought of touching you with my tainted hands. Even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to feel you. But…" the flow of tears redoubled, "now I can."

Star didn't say anything, she could feel her eyes starting to dampen as well.

Moon half sat up and pulled Star into a closer embrace, "you're so warm."

The floodgates opened and Star sobbed. She threw herself into her mother's embrace. "I'm sorry, mommy! I'm sorry Eclipsa's spell hurt you. I didn't think-"

"Hush, dear." Moon held her close, placing her chin on top of Star's head, and she could feel a dampness spreading across her hair as the tears continued to flow. "It doesn't matter," she murmured, holding Star a little tighter, "This was worth it."

"-worth it."

"Well, I think I've seen enough." Eclipsa hummed. Snapping her fingers and canceling her spell. The window into Star's room vanished and Eclipsa leaned back into her ancient bed. She frowned, there was a spring sticking into her back. She should fix that. How had Moon done that spell of hers?

Eclipsa lifted her finger and waved it as she had seen, her bed straightened beneath her, the lingering sent of dust and age vanishing as the cushions became fluffier. Eclipsa sank farther into it with a sigh of bliss. And Moon thought she'd never made any worthwhile spells, this bed spell alone deserved its own chapter.

"I'd say that went quite well," she said, addressing the empty room. She hadn't been completely sure if Moon would actually go through with the absolution spell or not. But of course, it had been something Moon wanted. So it had only been a matter of time before her desire outweighed her caution. You could always trust intelligent people to act in their own interests.

Not that Eclipsa faulted Moon for it, quite the opposite. She was glad to see her descendants refusing to allow the ridiculous shackles of propriety hold them back. Mewni would be in good hands with those two.

Not that it mattered much to her either way, of course, but it was still a nice thing to know.

Reaching down the side of her bed, the ancient queen pulled out a freshly pilfered chocolate bar—the kitchens wouldn't miss it nearly as much as she would enjoy it—and took a bite.

"Di-vine!" she exclaimed, savoring every bite. She wondered if that little gift would be enough to sway Moon's feelings the other way for the trial. Perhaps not. But again, it didn't matter. It had been a gift, after all, and wasn't the whole point of gifts was that one shouldn't expect anything in return?

And anyways, the view had been heartwarming enough to be its own reward, she had a soft spot for mothers and daughters. Speaking of, she reached down and pulled up a book she'd found in the restricted royal archives. It was an uncensored history of the royal family of Mewni, it had taken her a full five minutes to break the protective enchantments and every page reeked of forbidden history and ancient secrets.

Cracking upon the book she turned back to roughly three hundred years ago and began to read. She needed to know what had happened after she'd been crystalized. Maybe, just maybe, this book could tell her what had happened to… her.

"Meteora, my darlng." Eclipsa muttered, "I know you're still alive. Somewhere. Your father will have made sure of it, and don't worry…" She took a final bite of the chocolate and tossed away the wrapper.

"Mommy's coming."

S&DS&DS&DS&D

…This was supposed to be a story about Eclipsa being sassy. How did this happen?

But yeah, here was the most difficult part of this chapter:

From the deepest depths, I call

To save me from the final fall.

I sinned, I raged, I sold my soul,

I crushed my heart to burning coal.

But now I wish to walk in grace,

So to the light I raise my face.

So set the sparks and lay the blame,

I'll throw myself upon the flame.

Recant the dreaded oath once sworn,

And burn away this crown of thorns.

Woo boy. I' not kidding when I say it took my two and a half hours to put that together. Dr. Suess made this look easy.

Anyway, thats my story. There will be no part three, as I'd can't even begin to guess what Eclipse is going to do in the show from this point on.