Hello everyone! I'm back with a new project and boy am I excited to kick this off with a massive first chapter. Now, need to make a few things clear. This is NOT based on the canon Star Vs AU. The story makes that clear but needed to clarify that now. Authors note at the end will clear things up some more. But this is a project I really got into and as a result, here it is.

Special thanks go out to a few people. Firstly, my friends Blackwolf (Author of the story 'Sign of the Moon' I'm currently helping her co-write), FrostyHawk, Celestialwolf, Jack (author of the wonderful story 'Marcocrushed') and Alem70 for giving me feedback on drafts and the original concept's brainstorming. Also want to thank chachingmel123 (who is currently writing 'Dark Prince Marco) for giving me the 'okay' to write this, as it has surface-level similarities to his story.

I hope you enjoy, as this alongside co-writing 'Sign of the Moon' are my current major projects.

Friend… Now that is a funny word. It could mean many things. A close ally you've battled alongside. Someone you have complete trust in with valued knowledge. And in some cases, another way to say 'lover'. All of those meanings are things Star Butterfly, current Queen of Mewni fully comprehends as she sat down and looking through a dark purple portal before her. Taking a sip from her mug, being filled with some of the finest ale in the land, she sees a series of visions appear.

Within the portal, was a boy of the name Marco Diaz, who is seen fighting alongside Star as they took on Ludo for the first time two years ago. She smiled, remembering how much fun that was, having a real battle buddy by her side. Taking another sip of her ale, it shifted to the fated Blood Moon Ball, where she inwardly swooned being in Marco's arms. As it shifted to the balcony scene, she rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "Why didn't I push that dork into kissing me…" Star said aloud as with a flick of her hand, the portal passed by a ton of memories and moments they shared together.

It was in such a flash, one normally wouldn't catch it all. But Star Butterfly, however, knew everything. This was from, she bitterly thought for the umpteenth time, due to it being the only daily thing that kept her sane while ensuring Mewni was taken care of every waking minute. Despite everyone hating me, of course. She thought with disgust in her mind. Taking a large gulp of her drink, she stopped the portal on something. Her eyes narrowed, seeing Marco cry into a bowl of oatmeal. "Wait a sec… This was when I left to fight Toffee. I normally can't see past my foolish confession." Star sat back, stumped at what this means. "Marco…" She intently looked into the portal. I need to learn more.

She let it play, with Marco talking to a laser puppy alone, his parents out of the room. "W-Why didn't I say anything, Barko? I… I don't know how I feel but… Even if it was muddled, she deserved an answer." Marco said in defeat, the laser puppy licking his tears away. "Hey… Why don't we watch a movie? I'm sure that might lift our spirits a bit." Marco wiped his face and picked up his oatmeal, a literal pack of laser puppies, storming down the stairs and joining him on the couch. Star covered her face, feeling shocked that Marco might… She shook it off, swiping her hand. The image warped with a puddle-like image, making odd ripple effects. It soon shifted to daytime in his house, but Marco was sitting alone, his eyes vacant of any emotion. This must have been… Star frowned, knowing this was likely after the breakup. She remembered spying on Marco often, but stopped after a period of time, feeling it too painful seeing him happy with Jackie.

Marco took out his wallet, looking at the beach day photo, gently brushing his finger over Star's face. "I… I don't know. What if…" Marco shook his head. "No, even if my feelings confused, she still cares about me. We can be close friends again. Hope she doesn't mind me 'crashing' in. Hehe… She sort of did that back when we first meet." Star at this point was covering her mouth, shock coursing through her. T-This… It was hard to look at the portal now, feeling a wave of guilt come over her. This can't be my Marco. I have to be seeing another one. Star said firmly, clenching her fists. Somehow, I connected to another Marco. Let's see what's next.

She swiped her hand and it landed on Marco sitting alone at Lava Lake Beach. This greatly confused Star. She remembered the day being a 'just them' thing, as Tom was busy dealing with something. Marco tried so hard making it a fun time, with the two enjoying a wonderful SoulRise alongside Kelly and Tad, somehow working out their problem from earlier that evening. This seemed to not be the case for this Marco, clearly. Moving her hand around, she felt raw rage overcome her the moment she saw 'herself' and Tom kissing each other lovingly. What hurt Star's heart the most was Marco's reaction, seeing him have a very intense panic attack and running off out of pure sadness. Wordlessly watching him off, she saw Marco curled in a ball, crying while tugging his hoodie. She was such shock watching this, for a moment she couldn't catch him speaking.

"…It's too late. So that's why I've been so down lately. And the cold reaction I got to coming back here… It's not because I crashed in her life. It's because she moved on from me, completely." She saw him closes his eyes tightly, wiping away tears as he got up. "I… I should check on Kelly. She saw me run off in a rush." Star couldn't believe this, her body shaking with rage returning in full force.

"He figured it out… Right when 'I' was in a real relationship with Tom…" Star glanced at her hand, holding a mostly finished drink of ale. Anger came over her in an utter surge of dark magic, pulsating the ale mug away and releasing whatever was left at the object with a carefully timed dark ray. Huffing from the remaining traces of anger, Star slouched back down. "That… That…" Taking a deep breath, she patted her fractured heart-marked cheeks. "N-No. I made dumb choices too."

With some hesitation, Star snapped her fingers, making the next wave of visions pop up. A cluster of portals opened up around her, showing Marco in different stages of sadness and isolation. It was very hard for her to look at all of this, knowing she caused him this pain. Closing her eyes, she felt magic crackle in the air as a jumbled noise escaped the open portals.

She only gave you that job out of pity!

Marco! You don't get it. Things changed…

HA! That cape was just a meat blanket.

You are no wayward! Get out of here!

B-Fly is like, moving on turd. Get over yourself.

She's lucky to have a squire like you.

You don't appreciate anything I do for you!

"NO!" She screamed, making the purple pulse of magic surround her and silencing the noise. Star's hands were shaking. He… Did he face that much? Did… Did I hurt my Marco like that? Star touched her face, feeling some tears coming down her eyes. Marco… She wiped them away, her blurry vision noticing one portal still present. Unlike the other ones, this had a red outline and glow, making Star rub her chin in curious interest. She tried canceling the spell but nothing made the portal vanish. "Huh… This is something." Hovering her wand over it, the orb in the center made a faint red glow. "Red Magic… I only ever read about this, never saw it in person. Even with my experiments, never was able to cast it." She slowly walked up to it, feeling her cracked heart marks make a faint glow the moment she touched it. I can dip down? The last time that happened was when… She felt a smile grace her face, after realizing what this meant. After all this time… I can get him back. She smirked, feeling joy course through her. I won't be alone again. Pulling up her seat near the portal, she used magic to pour herself another cup of ale, leaning back and watching the magical oval with deep intent. Let's see what your life is like, Marco Diaz.

This sure is fun… Marco thought in annoyance, hands resting in his trademark red hoodie. In front of him was Star and Tom holding hands, laughing at some dumb joke the demon prince cracked. Ugh… Okay, that was kinda funny. He sighed, hanging his head low. Being a good while since that horrible party he threw, things haven't been the best. Star and Tom have become an even stronger couple, downright confusing Marco. The cracks were there when Mr. 'I don't do Politics' didn't help much when Mina attacked. And Tom forgetting his girlfriend's birthday when her lowly squire remembered? It made Marco just hold in a bitter laugh.

Marco noticed Star being the one pushing for Tom being included in more things, which, on some level, he understood. The guy's both our friend, not just her boyfriend. Marco frowned though, letting something sink in his mind as he passed by other couples around them. She really doesn't need me around… Shaking his head to ward off this sadly common subject rattling within his mind, Marco walked up next to Star as he put on a happy face. "So, what's the plan for today? Thought it was just another adventure for the two of us." He looked at Tom, flashing a smirk. "Guess having some fire magic on the team might be useful, huh? Just don't aim your fire at me and we're good dude."

Tom snickered, folding his arms. "Oh, I got a good aim. So watch your step, Diaz." The two shared a dangerous look, each having intense anger behind seemingly joyful faces. Star somehow noticed this, standing between the two boys. Marco noticed this being a very common thing she did ever since their fight on Stump Day. Boy, was it some show. Marco and Tom went into one heck of a brawl, nearly destroying the entire party. It got so bad, that even the Stump backed off. I never was that angry in my entire life. Marco thought bitterly as the fight rang through his mind. He gave Tom another look, one that was a mixture of regret and anger. This whole romance thing is really messing up our friendship. He admitted, wondering if loving Star was even worth it at points.

"Guuuys… We are going to have fun finding leads on Meteora." Star said, snapping Marco out of his thoughts and pushing Tom to look at his girlfriend. Star rubbed her neck as she said, "Mom's busy today talking to Eclipsa about stuff, so hoping we find some leads today." She soon gave Marco a worried look. "You okay though? Been really upset about things lately." Tom gave an equally worried look though it was a bit harsher, Marco simply waved his hand. Oh, now you notice me being down about thing. He inwardly grumbled before walking ahead of the two.

"I'm fine, really. Just got a lot on my mind. Squire stuff and all that." Tom was convinced but Star wasn't completely but slotted the worry away, taking Tom's hand and following Marco through the crowd. They were in a monster village, looking for clues about Meteroa's location. Marco smirked to himself, remembering how excited Star was about some 'grand' idea. So much so she dragged him out of bed like she used to back on Earth for adventures. Part of him was happy about that, with the ideas of exploring all highly populated monster locations to find a monster princess sounds like fun! It was foolproof! …Or at least, Star thought that. Both Tom and Marco had their doubts but followed through with it, figuring it would lead to an enjoyable experience with results in tow.

After talking to various monsters for a good hour or so, Star slumped in defeat on a nearby bench. "This is stupid… I would think the Monsters would have some information on her." Marco was about to walk up to Star and give her advice, but Tom beat him to the punch, pulling her into a warm hug. Narrowing his eyes, Marco simply watched the scene play out like a hawk.

"It will be fine Starship. Just give us a few hours and we will find her." Star smiled, hugging Tom back tighter. Marco folded his arms, glaring at the couple with raw annoyance. Oh, so he actually can do my job, making her feel better. For some reason, instead of more annoyance rising up like after the Monster Bash, Marco felt a sense of relief come over him instead. Well, at least I know he cares. Marco was about to smile but felt something touch his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw nothing... But something was on the ground, a little note. Picking it up, Marco noticed handwriting oddly similar to Star's though jumbled up in colorful letters as if it was a ransom note, giving it a read.

You're lucky I'm holding back Diaz. I would blast her for doing that crap right now. But… You seem okay with things. Why?

- S.B.

Marco blankly looked at the object, feeling a wave of confusion come over him. W-What? Star is right there! Unless there is another person with the initials S.B. on Mewni, that's Star. Shaking his head in annoyance, he neatly folded the letter and put it away in his pocket. Another time, I can look into this. "So guys, uh… If you can stop the lovey-dovey stuff for a sec, want me to look for clues and…"

"Yeah… Sure…" Star said casually, her eyes lost into Tom's. Marco scowled, marching off with clenched fists before he can watch their 'trademark' make-out sessions. You have dang magic, get a portal. He noticed some monsters, even some of the Buff Kids, hopping around in mild confusing after seeing Marco downright angry but he simply didn't care. At this point, everyone knows. But Star, ironically, Pift. Making heavy footsteps, Marco eventually found a monster tavern, having a half-broken sign hanging down. Walking into the building, he got thankful looks. Smiling at the gesture, Marco walked up to the barkeep who was a tall ogre with an eyepatch. Lifted out of an RPG I see. He thought with amusement, as the ogre slid Marco over a cup of Swamp Water. Taking a sip, Marco didn't notice the playful smirk on the ogre's face.

"So, seems you are back in these parts. Another day of the princess toying with you, huh?" The friendly ogre asked, using a towel to clean up some glasses. Marco sighed, taking a sip of the oddly-tasty drink.

"Something like that. Though it's really lively today; nice seeing business booming." Marco raised his glass, with the ogre nodding in agreement. "But today's not really for fun. We are here too…" The ogre raised an eyebrow in question. "Right, this isn't just a Star and Me thing. Tom, her boyfriend, tagged along for the adventure. Anyway…" The ogre held up his hand, stopping Marco from speaking. The ogre made a gesture with his hands, making some other monsters huddle around Marco. The boy noticed each one having somber expressions. "Uh… What's going on here? Did I drop something?"

"Boys, you know what we do for the sad ones." The ogre clapped his hands, with the monsters tackling Marco into a crushing bear hug. WWhat? This is just too strange. He heard giggles, oddly enough, very Star like giggles from the distance. This only made his confusion worsen. And now Star's laughing from somewhere… Lovely. As they let go, Marco simply blinked, trying to process everything.

"That is what we do for the 'abandoned' ones." A bat monster sat next to Marco, gently patting his back, a frown etched across his snout. "My cousin went through something like that, right Bill?" A foxlike monster nodded, who was leaning on the wall casually.

"Yeah, kid. Means the lass doesn't need ya anymore." The fox spoke in a thick accent. "But you're here for information on that odd Monster Princess. I was going to charge ya but after seeing your mopey face, free of charge." He got off the wall and slid over a stained folder. Not going to even ask where this came from. Marco thought as he opened it up. It showed pictures and even some torn up documents in monster language on Meteora. I can get Buff Frog to translate this. And Star can use her 'All Seeing Eye' spell to find the location these pictures are showing.

"Thank you!" Marco shouted, digging into his pocket and putting some money on the table. Once the ogre was going to reject the money, Marco pushed it forward. "Look, you guys are building this village still and…" Some chair broke apart as if proving Marco's point. "…And I want to help somehow. Least I can do for the warm welcome and the information." The ogre counted the wad of cash, counting exactly 650$.

"He's way too generous…" A female voice said teasingly. Everyone in the room looked around, with one female monster shrugging her shoulders once eyes went on her. Marco just looked toward the door, narrowing his eyes.

"Star, just come in here already." Marco somewhat-ordered, getting unamused from these 'games'. But she never came, making him rub his forehead. "Great. Now I'm hearing her in my head." Marco made a bitter laugh. "I really am sad, huh?" The ogre simply rubbed his neck, sliding over another mug of Swamp Water, this time having a thicker texture to it. Marco studied it, slugging the whole thing down and letting the very apparent alcohol somewhat kick in. "I really need this." He got up, wiping his mouth after making a small burp. The ogre smirked, with Marco giving a sly smile in response. "Uh… Have a good day guys. And thanks for everything. Also, don't worry, I can take..." Marco crashed into a wall, falling on his butt. "Ow…" The monsters laughed, with two helping Marco up. "This stuff kicks in fast for sure. Anyway, see you all tomorrow." They waved goodbye, hoping to see him again.

Walking out of the tavern with information in tow, he looked around to find Star and Tom. They were by the food shack if I remember correctly… But once returning to their spot after a few minutes of walking and coming down from the booze, they were gone. "Marco?" A Buff Kid said, with Marco bending down to meet her at eye level. It was Katrina, one of the more developed of Buff Frog's tadpoles. "You are Karate Uncle!" Marco nodded, smiling at the nickname. "Uh… I'm sorry but Star said to give you this." He looked through the note, messier than the one he found from her earlier.

Hey Marco!

I uh… Kind of got distracted. Tom and I found this great gaming place near the town! It's called 'Monster Smash' if you want to…

He didn't even finish reading it, crumpling the note into a ball and shoving it away within his hoodie. "UGH! This is so damn stupid! Of course, she would ditch me again to fool around with HIM." Marco huffed in raw annoyance, looking at his clenched fists.

"I'm sorry… Didn't know you are upset." He drifted his angered form over to the innocent Kartina having a frown seeing Marco so upset. I hope I didn't scare her... Sighing in defeat at letting his temper get the best of him, he put on a smile, one somewhat genuine too little Katrina.

"It's okay little one. Want me to treat you to something? I got some money left over." The little kid smiled, hopping onto Marco's shoulder. Marco swore he heard an 'aww' from the distance but shrugged it off.

After passing by various carts and helping out monsters for a few hours, Marco dropped Katrina off with her brothers and sisters. Marco noticed Boo Fly watching them, which was common after Buff Frog became Monster Expert a few weeks back. Using his scissors to cut a portal, he waved them a jolly goodbye before gracefully landed back in his room. He was going to crash into his bed to get some much-needed rest but looked at the folder in his hands. "…She doesn't care about this. So why give it to her?" Marco said bitterly, marching out of the room and looking for the throne room.

Walking down flights of stairs, Marco smirked at the various pictures hanging on the walls, a common thing he did to cool his nerves after a long day. "They aren't very good. Trust me, some idiot painted them." Marco turned around, swearing he heard Star yet again. He rubbed his temples, calming his nerves. Just… Your mind is tired. Walking again, the voice spoke once more. "I get why you are annoyed." Marco paused, leaning on the wall in defeat.

"Okay, 'voice in my head that sounds like Star'. What do you have to say? That even in my head, you prefer Tom more than me?" Marco bitterly shouted to the sky, his voice echoing down some halls. A giggle was heard, making Marco raise an eyebrow.

"Nah, I think you're cute. That mole is to die for." Marco blushed, feeling weird that his mind was complimenting him like this. "But you did the mission! Finding out about the Meteora chick. It was really sweet you hung out with the monster peeps too. But… What? No thank you kiss on the cheek or a hug from 'Miss Perfect Princess'? Just a shitty note saying 'Thanks, going to have fun sucking my BF's face. Bye!' That's not right." Marco seriously listened to the voice, somewhat shocked at hearing Star's voice cursing

"But what can I do here?" Marco asked aloud. "She's with Tom and… That's not changing anytime soon. …I'm okay though. Had fun with the monsters and enjoyed that swamp water, though my head's woozy." The voice giggled again, Marco really enjoying how happy the voice sounded. "I wish my head spoke in Star's voice more often. As strange as this is, I'm really happy right now."

The voice grew quiet, making Marco worry. Am I worried about my mind going quiet? That's something new. He chuckled to himself at how absurd this whole situation is. The voice soon spoke again, having a harsher edge to it this time. "That bitch doesn't know what she has. Tonight, you are going to make a choice. One for your happiness, or hers. Really hope you finally be a bit selfish for once." After that, the voice grew quiet.

"Ooookay…" Marco stood back up, feeling baffled at this surreal moment. "Guess I can check 'talking to myself' on the bucket list." Finding the throne room, he noticed Star talking to Moon about something with Tom by her side. Here we go… "Star!" She turned around, being somewhat angry. "Hey! I got information on…"

"Why are you so late!?" Star nearly screamed, making Marco recoil in mild shock. "I needed you to…" Marco didn't let her finish, throwing the folder down on the ground and glaring in her face.

"I did my job, princess. I had a nice day helping Monsters while you spent all day goofing off with Tom." Tom raised his finger. "Not now." He looked back at Star. "I don't care if you wanted to make it a date. I really don't anymore, used to be the third wheel for these things. But please, actually let me know where you are going! We have dang phones for crying out loud!" Marco puffed his cheeks in rage, making Star move back in confusion. "What if something happened to you and I had no way to of reaching you?!"

Star looked at the ground, sighing in defeat. "Marco, I never have time to have fun. You know this so…" Marco rubbed his neck, feeling some shame at causing a scene. Tom looked visibly uncomfortable. To break the tension, a cough was heard. Marco turned to noise, seeing a very stern Moon folding her arms.

"That's enough, Marco," Moon said firmly, reminding him he was the Queen and King of Mewni. River shot him a worried look, with Moon mirroring it. "Now, if you two have words to say, do it respectfully and…" Marco just bowed, silencing them.

"I said enough. Going to get sleep. Uh… Thanks, for your time, Queen and King." Marco started walking off but stopped when Star grabbed his arm. "I said, I'm going to sleep. …I really can't deal with things right now. Night, Star." Marco said softly, not even looking behind him. Star let go, with Marco quickly getting out of the room.

"Told ya she…" The voice returned, but Marco ignored it, marching up the stairs while holding back tears. He eventually opened his door, throwing himself down on his bed and closing his eyes. "Good night, my prince." The voice said lovingly, with a red vortex opening from the corner of Marco's room.

Falling is an odd sensation, one that could result in a painful end or just a somewhat painful landing. But Marco was just… Floating, drifting in a dark red hue, surrounded by red roses and glass murals. Landing down on one of them, the light of the Blood Moon struck down, lighting up the platform. Fragments of all his friends, family and Star appeared around him. As if they were watching him, expecting him to make a move.

"Before you…" Marco turned toward the voice, sounding similar to Star herself. The very voice talking to him hours ago. "…Is a door. I mean, all doors are kinda dumb. But work with me here, trying to make this a 'grand decision' thing for you. It's taking a lot of magic, so appreciate it buster." Marco couldn't help but chuckle at this, nodding seriously. The voice continued. "Now, the door before leads you to another world, one that will offer you everything you ever wanted. Love, respect, power… But you must leave your current one behind."

All around Marco, his friends and family vanished, with the red light slowly dimming around the glass mural he was standing on. It eventually landed only on Star, and the door behind her. "Every person has two sides to them…" The voice came from Star, who slowly was covered in golden light. It was so bright, it overwhelmed Marco, forcing him to close his eyes. Upon opening them, there were two Stars. One of them mirrored his best friend, the girl he fell in love with, having a soft smile and radiant pink hearts. Next to her, was a darker version of Star. Her face looked… Tired, drained as if dealing with great suffering. She wore a very Eclipsa-styled dress, though more form fitting and a bit more revealing. Marco's eyes grew wide when looking at her hands and cheeks, the former was covered with thick darkness, while her iconic heart marks were cracked, nearly broken. Both held out their hand, looking at Marco expectantly as if telling him to make a choice.

He looked at them, feeling confusion come over his mind. "I… What if I make the wrong choice…" Marco said softly, looking at his hands. "I hurt people, making bad choices." The tainted Star walked up to Marco, giving a warm, almost loving smile. She tilted his face using her finger, making Marco blush from her caring but somber blue eyes.

"I won't be upset if you pick someone else. Just want you to make a choice, so you can be happy." She closed her mouth before saying something else, backing away and standing where she was before. Marco covered his heart, trying to think about what it wanted. Head and heart disagree, huh? Going to let the little guy in my chest make this call. He searched his very soul for an answer, soon feeling a rush of red magic come over him.

The mural glowed a radiant red light, with Marco's arms covered with red strings. To his surprise, both Stars had their strings, red-hued golden and purple ones coming off their open hand as well. I… No going back. Marco thought, looking into both their eyes, pleading to tell him an answer. But when he looked at his Star's eyes, Marco felt emotions he never felt around Star. Or at least, what his brain telling him not to accept. Anger at her not giving him enough attention. Sadness at how lonely she has made him feel. Regret at hurting her in the past. Shame for being a horrible friend. And desire, for something much more.

Turning his attention to the other Star, for someone he never met in his entire life, Marco felt an utter rainbow of emotions releasing from her eyes. It was as if she let him into her mind, trying to attach her strings to his. Slowly, he took his hand and guided it toward this Star, some of his red strings touching hers. A rush of memories and emotions played within his mind, jumbled and confused. Pain. All he felt was her pain. And so much of it was from her regret toward actions revolving around him. Marco felt hot tears dripping down his face, throwing himself onto this other Star, wanting to tell her everything will be okay, that the pain will never come back. Before he knew it, hundreds of strings escaped his body and wrapped themselves around this Star, who was gasping in utter shock. Soon though, she smiled, embracing the hug and letting the strings do their magic.

Next to them was the Star that Marco has known for two years, her smile wavering and looking at the ground. Slowly, her body vanished into the darkness, giving one final wave goodbye to Marco before fully leaving. Once Marco and the other Star let go, they looked at the door. Saying nothing, they pushed it open and walked inside, letting warm light overtake them both.

Waking up normally is a very relaxing thing, or sometimes, is simply isn't. Alarms screaming in your ear or the soft winds brushing against your face, how one wakes up can help determine the day one might have. In Marco Diaz's case, he opened his eyes and found himself laying on a bed. A soft one, mind you, with the colors of black and purple coating everything. This is odd… I was sleeping on my bed in Mewni… He tried moving but felt an iron-lock grip on his body. Turning to his right, he felt his entire body freeze. "STAR?!"

The blond haired princess, slowly opened her eyes, black eye-lashes playfully batting open. Resting her head on Marco's chest, he refused to budge, still in shock. She giggled in amusement. "Morning, my lovely prince charming. Did I wake you from my spell?" Marco opened and closed his mouth on loop, unsure how to even respond. Star gave a playful smile, letting her purple-coated lips grow into a wide smirk. "Right, you are a bit confused. You were sleeping so badly in that 'bed' hours ago." She got up and stretched her arms & legs, uncaring of a very revealing purple nightgown. "Oh, stop looking so shocked. I know you like this."

Marco dumbly nodded, with Star throwing him his red hoodie and pants, both not looking exactly like they normally do. His hoodie had a gold trimmings, with a large purple butterfly on its back. Blue jeans even mirrored this, having dark purple lines coming down from three sides. A belt around the waist had a green and yellow star in its center. "Can… You tell me what's going on?" Marco looked up from his clothes, neatly folded in his arms, seeing Star getting dressed as if he wasn't in the room. This is too strange… Why is she this… Open to me? Isn't she with Tom?!

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Star giggled, putting her brush down and giving Marco a playful smile. "I wanted you for a very long time, Marco. And I have you, right in my room, looking handsome like I always dreamed. And I know you love me too. Or… Rather some other Star." Other Star? Marco blinked at the choice of words. "Just get dressed lover boy. I will explain things over some tasty breakfast. My treat." She flashed him a grateful smile, one that he always saw her when on Earth. Marco's heart melted a bit, enjoying this attention and affection.

"O-Okay." Marco stuttered, throwing on his clothes in a frantic rush, with Star snickering in the background. As he was getting dressed and putting on his hoodie, he noticed Star giving him a somber expression, as if she saw this many times before. Zipping the hoodie up, he walked up to Star, noticing her having some issue zipping her dress. "Let me help with that." He slowly zippered it up, with Star blushing in response. This is so… Odd, but it feels right. Finishing his work, he put on his shoes.

Star finished up getting ready herself, picking up a crown off her dresser, which was a unique shade of purple and red. Putting the crown on, she looked in the mirror, with Marco walking up to her. "You know… I think your head is missing something, Marco." Marco rubbed his chin, eyes soon going wide at her implications. Star made a dark smirk, kissing his cheek, "That, is for if you agree to something later, my lovely prince." Marco felt himself frozen just looking at the girl next to him, however. She… She's beautiful. Marco always saw Star as someone pretty but her dress mirrored the one from the dream. Wait a moment… He felt some connection to this girl, not unlike what he felt with Star for a little while after the Blood Moon Ball. No… Dreams aren't real. I do hope to get answers soon. Marco decided to go with the flow, see what happens next. Star seemingly read his mind, having a hard time hiding her amused smile.

Just as she was going to get the door, something fell over in her closet. Marco jumped in front of her, almost instinctually, which earned him a playful smirk from Star's lips. "Uh… I will check it out." Marco quickly walked to the closet, trying to hide a very red face. And she's enjoying this... Marco thought but quickly felt confused. Picking up the fallen object, it was his leather jacket from the trials he completed in Heckapoo's domain. "Oh! Did I give you this or something?"

Star took the object, gently brushing her gloved hands against it, frowning in thought. "…Yeah, you did. Can you… Put it on, please?" Gone was her flirty tone and playful demeanor instead was something far more somber. Marco nodded, putting the jacket on and fixing its sleeves. She just studied Marco, a tearful smile coming across her face. "Before you ask, yes. You look handsome, dork." Star walked toward the door but Marco got to it faster, mockingly holding it open. "My, aren't you being the model bad-boy prince?"

"I have my charms; that I do," Marco smirked, letting some of her playfulness rub off on him. She rolled her eyes and the duo left, ready to get some much-needed breakfast.

The duo walked down a spiral staircase, with Star frowning at a somber memory. I shouldn't have kicked… She sighed, shaking her head. Turning around, snapped her fingers and a purple cloud popped underneath her feet, casually riding her somewhat darker Cloudy while Marco was lost in thought. "Morning, sunshine." Marco blinked, sheepishly rubbing his neck. "Did I ruin a daydream? Or are you just shocked about this whole thing?"

"Um… Both?" He answered, earning a giggle from Star. She hovered next to Marco, the duo silent for a few moments. Before she could interrupt the silence, Marco spoke. "This just reminds me of when…"

"You returned to Mewni after that 'longer-goodbye' crap, right?" Marco stopped walking, surprised at how Star phrased it. "Come on. What girl, who has magical powers mind you, lets her dream guy go like nothing? I mean, not suggesting anything, buuuut, I could have turned Jackie into a frog and said she moved away or something." Marco felt his eye twitch, earning a loud laugh from Star. "Oh, you are so priceless. But Nah, I may be eeeeeevil, but I wouldn't do something like that. I did spy on you though."

Marco froze on the stairs, looking at his feet in shame. "So… My Star just… Spied on me too? Didn't even trust me? I mean… I don't spy on her dates with Tom and… I can actually use the wand!" Star snapped her fingers, digging through her dangling spider purse. Taking out her wand, Marco froze at how… Oddly similar it matched his Stars. The only difference was the devil horns removed and even more hearts surrounding the wand's ball. "Wait a minute, that's yours and…"

Before he could even argue, it landed within his hands, transforming into the familiar dagger-winged form it took months ago. Star smiled, recalling that memory vividly. It was just her and Marco, him rushing into the realm of magic itself on Nachos trying to drag her away. "I got a question…" Marco nodded, tightly holding the wand. "How did you save your Star from the realm of magic?"

He frowned, sighing in defeat. "Well…" The duo resumed walking (or in Star's case, floating), with Star noticing the wand somewhat shift its form, mirroring a short fire-blade as Marco clenched it. "Star asked me and Tom too…" Her face made a contorted frown. "…Yes, she asked Tom to help too. I get it, he's her boyfriend and he really did try to help. But he was so scared and I was really confused. But then I remembered how that one monster way back touched the wand and it transformed then. So, I figured, maybe I could cast the all-seeing eye spell. To my shock, it worked. I was able to get Star out of there and we nearly had a great moment! But… Tom ruined it."

Star simply shook her head disgusted. So, his Star really was serious with demon boy, huh? She sighed, hovering near Marco and patting his shoulder. "Look, while you may not 100%..."

"I trust you," Marco said almost automatically, making Star's face smile wide. "You have dark powers and all that, yet you gave me a choice to come here. I think? That dream was strange…" Silence took the stairway, coming close to the door to the dining room. Marco shook his head, finishing his thought. "Point being, you could have forced me here, but you actually cared to be nice to me, talking to me. I… I really missed having Star as my best buddy. It felt nice." Marco's smile was infectious, joyful tears coming down his face. Star hopped off Cloudy and held his hand, the very one holding he wand.

Pink and red magic pulsed out of the wand, with the two simply staring at each other lovingly. But a loud boom was heard from the dining room, making both of them flinch. I'm going to kill Manfred for ruining this moment… She turned toward Marco, rubbing her arm nervously. "I.. Uh… I missed you too, Marco." Star patted her cheeks, rushing into the dining hall. "Come on, got some good stuff for us."

Marco only dumbly nodded, following Star into the massive room. It was similar to the one he ate at time-to-time, but it had far more color and 'life' to it. Narwhals with black eyes were painted on the walls, a red-moon chandelier hung down proudly and one of the more striking things that got him was the royal portrait. Normally, it's the Queen and her family. But it was just Star and… Marco playfully posing, with monsters surrounding them proudly in the background. Star marched back into the hall, folding her arms unamused. "Stupid Manfred and saying 'You have to wait, your highness, food takes blah blah blah…' but I told him hundreds of times to just call me STAR! Yesh! Can't get good help, right Marco?"

He just snickered, shaking his head. "Sounds you have your hands full here." Marco pulled out a nearby chair, with Star giving a teasing smile. "Now, mi Princessa, what guest would I be if I didn't properly help set things up?" Star sat down as he gently pushed the chair in, rushing into the kitchen, but he couldn't move. Turning his head, he noticed Star giving a playful smile.

"Okay buster, you need to get with the program here." She used another hand to move a chair out, placing Marco down with a 'plop'. "While you're here, you are not my servant. You are my honored, loving guest. Meaning, you are treated like me. An equal. Got it?" Marco only smiled, nodding in understanding. "Good! Now, as we wait for our foods, tell me about yourself, Marco Diaz."

He leaned back, with Star inwardly relaxed he was so at peace here. Glad to see the dork finally happy for a change. "So, ever heard about this brave warrior that spent sixteen years in another dimension? For a pair of scissors?" Star rolled her eyes, with Marco puffing out his chest. "And got abs that made some special friend of mine ogle for a bit?"

"Oh, I'm sure she was lucky," Star smirked, leaning forward and having a lidded expression. "And I'm lucky to have that hunk in my presence right now." Marco felt his bravado vanish, replace with intense blushing on his face. "Now, I'm sure you have some adventures to share."

"But what about you?" Marco asked kindly, taking a sip of his nearby glass of water. "I mean… You are ruling Mewni. That's some intense stuff. You okay doing all this on your own?" Star saw the worry in his eyes. …No wonder I fell for the guy, he's just too darn caring. Letting her honest feelings show, she just frowned, looking at her empty plate. "You don't have to say anything. I just figured…"

"I will spill the beans if you tell me why your Star rejected you like that." Star's voice was harsh but filled with regret at once. Marco opened his mouth to answer but digging from a bell got both their attention. Manfred walked into the room with a plate of Nachos and two glasses of soda, placing it between the two before leaving in a flash. Thank you. Star shot him a thankful smile, with the butler nodding in response. Marco took a sip of his drink as he collected his thoughts.

"Well, I was stupid, Star." He couldn't look at her in the eyes, though she clearly felt his regret from his body language. "I didn't react fast enough to her feelings and… She really connected with Tom. I have no clue how he is here, but where I'm from, Tom isn't a bad guy. It's… It sucked seeing them together." Sucked. Star noted the past tense he used, preventing a smile from creeping up on her face. "I… I just wanted to have my friend back. I was honestly okay if Star moved on. But… It sucks, knowing that no matter what you do, everyone simply doesn't respect you."

"Squires gave you shit, royals discredited you, Star didn't always have your back and I'm willing to bet the Saint Olga's thing blew up badly, huh?" Star said casually, taking a few bites from the massive Nachos plate, letting the flavor tingle her senses. "You gotta try these, almost as good as your nachos."

Marco took a few from the large plate, munching them as he felt his mood liven up a bit. "Not bad… Thanks." Star smiled, urging Marco to continue speaking. "But yeah, that was the case. I actually left Mewni for a while after our trip to Lava Lake, talking with parents and helping Kelly out with her moving into a new place, considering I kicked Tad out of her hair."

"Literally, I assume?" Star joked, earning a snicker from Marco, flexing his muscles mockingly. The two laughed, soon sighing as they took a few more nachos to eat. "But for me, I wasn't nearly as stupid as your Star. Sure, I made similar choices and I hate myself for that, but my Marco was really close. He had my back with Tom cheated on me and…" Marco shot out of his seat, his eyes glazed with rage. "Can it Rambo, kicked his ass through the seven layers of hell." Marco sat down, rubbing his temples. "Glad to you know you are super protective of me. If I didn't know any better, I would think you love me or something."

"Har Har," Marco grumbled, harshly munching on some nachos. "Why would anyone cheat on a beautiful and kind person like you?! Just… Ugh…" Marco sighed, shaking his head. Star reached over the two gently jointing hands. "I'm sorry that happened to you though. So… How did I leave the picture here?"

Star let go of Marco, eyes locked on her plate. "He… He died. We kinda disagreed on Eclipsa and it lead to him storming off, saying 'You never consider what I say!' and whatnot. I looked for him but… Eclipsa found him a week later, with Meteora carrying his empty husk of a body. Remember that suction machine?" Marco nodded, shivering at how cold it felt being strapped on to it. "It sucked you dry, killing you. If someone dies, you can pump your own magic into them and it kickstarts a lot of things. But if they have no magic at all inside them… You can't bring them back. Not when their soul already left."

Silence took the air, with Marco standing out of his seat and walking over to Star. He held open his arms, Star colliding into them. They stayed still, as Marco felt Star lightly sobbing. "I'm so sorry. I mean, I'm not your Marco, but I'm positive he would have come back and sorted things out. We Marco's are stubborn like that." Star only nodded, the two let go as she sniffled. "So is that why I'm here? Because you lost your Marco and…"

"Sit down buddy. I will explain things now." Marco complied, sitting back down, with Star guzzling down her glass of soda in one shot. Taking a deep breath, she looked directly at Marco. "Going to level with you, I'm having a hard time ruling this joint alone. I mean, you know me! I can do anything!" Marco nodded, letting a small smile grace his face. "But… It's a bit much when everyone hates me here. Blow up after losing your love one time and accidentally kill Mom, you are labeled a monster…" Marco's eyes went wide, shocked at hearing of Moon and River's passing. "Yeah, Mom and Dad kicked the bucket. The trial did… Didn't go over to well. Not at all. Not having Marco and Tom being far away from everything, I really didn't have anyone to help me face Eclipsa and Meteora. Pony and Kelly sadly passed during the fight too."

"My…" Marco felt his face tear up, with Star only sharing his sadness. "So… you need a king, basically." Star wiped her face, letting a smile grace it once more.

"Yeah, basically. But I this is kinda… a 'you can't change your mind' thing. If you say yes, it will be kind of strange to see you leave." She nervously laughed, playing with locks of her blond hair. "I… I really need someone to be my rock. And I really miss you."

"I mean…" Marco rubbed his neck, unable to face Star. "Didn't I agree in that dream? That I would always have your back? I have no clue what happened there but I think I made a promise to you or something." H-He really is… Star felt her heart race, purple and pink dancing around her. Marco took out the wand, walking to her and passing the magical object over. "I think you need this for that oath thing."

"Y-You know this means you are forever connected to me, right?" Star said seriously, trying to calm her nerves. "What about if you have second thoughts? Or if you see sides of me that you don't like? Or…"

"Is your name Star Butterfly?" She nodded. "Did you crash into my life and bring adventure at every turn?" She smiled, feeling some tears etch down her face. "And did you take my heart, being my lifeline and bestie?" She just tackled Marco into a hug, tightly embracing her. "I may not be the Marco you fell in love with. And you may not be the Star I fell in love with. But we have each other, after being given really cruddy hands to deal with. I promise to never hurt you."

"Same here," Star said in-between joyful sobs. I can't believe this. He picked me over HIS Star! H-How… As if answering her question, the red moon chandler glowed a radiant red, shining over them. So in that dream, it really meant… Putting the pieces together, she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. I'm not losing him again.

They just stayed still, enjoying the warmth and contentment. "Thank you…" Both said in unison, "For finally giving me light within the sea of darkness." Holding one another, they just basked in the ruby glow from above them, eyes closed and smiling in utter bliss.

In another Mewni, Star was fixing together her bed, having a nice night watching a movie with Tom. For whatever reason, Marco never showed up, even after leaving tons of notes under his door and sending out a laser puppy after him. Guess he's just upset with me. So what I'm spending a lot of time with Tom, he's my boyfriend! She shook her head, baffled at her best friend of all people giving her trouble. I put up with Jackie. So he should… Soon as she came to that logic, part of her heart aced. I never wish that pain on anyone.

Thinking nothing else, she zapped herself with magic to change into her crescent moon nightgown, jumping into her bed and getting ready to get some z's. Covering herself with soft fabrics, she glanced at a two pictures hanging up on the wall, one of her corn shake dates with Tom and another being a favorite. Using her wand to pull it over toward her, she grabbed the picture, smiling nostalgically at it. It was of her and Marco playfully posing in front of his home on Earth, not long after Pony Head's visit to the dimension.

"Maybe we can have some fun tomorrow if it's not too busy," Star said aloud, though part of her felt hollow as if this was said often. Closing her eyes, she felt a sharp pang in her chest, bolting up. "What the heck…" Star noticed her right hand faintly glowed red, a little red string coming out of her index finger. Touching the odd object, she recoiled at how much it hurt. Before she could use magic, the little string just fell off, its color turning into a dull grey. "Okay then… That's strange."

Shrugging her shoulders, she closed her eyes and went into the land of dreams, blissfully unaware of a red moon watching her, its red light dulling into its normal yellow hue.

Now, some ride huh? Next chapter will release next week but here is the break down of how the 'universes' work.

Prime Universe - Starco gets better progressively, Tom rebound purely, Marco and Star somewhat close

Dark Star AU - Starco very close and if things didn't go south, likely would have gotten together. Tom is cheating jerk, S3B events go horrifically wrong.

Normal AU - Starco weak, Tomstar very strong, Marco keeps getting beat on (Turidina goes bad, Tom's in ALL the Star/Marco episodes and his Lava Lake is a lot rawer)

The story explores the 'Dark Star AU' and 'Normal AU' in this situation, as the 'Prime Universe' (the show's official canon basically) is not mentioned at all. It's not part of the plot or anything. But this explains why Tomstar is so much stronger in this story than how it's presented in canon. And why some events from canon 'change' in unique ways, as you will learn across the story. Hope this clears things up if anyone had any questions or made the argument of characters, Star in parcilar, being 'out of character' at various points.