Long time, no see! I had a one-shot idea for an emotional Starco moment in "Tavern at the End of the Multiverse" that I had to do. For those of you waiting on Chapter 26 of The Dance of the Stars, I promise that's coming, but enjoy this in the meantime!

Like Morning Follows Night

Star Butterfly sat alone under the dark sky, a little bit away from the Dragon Spit tavern. Behind her, strobe lights flashed, and laughter clamored into the solitary night. Acrid scents of strong cornshakes stung her nose along with pungent whiffs of body odor and greasy food. Her stomach growled at the thought of corn fries, but the blonde warrior refused to indulge in the good luck party being thrown in her honor. It was a complete departure from how Star usually acted. To her, a party with her closest friends was as alluring as a flame to a moth. It reminded her of the old Bounce Lounge days before they came to a swift end. Those were fun nights, the nostalgic memory tugged a faint smile on her lips. Her mind flashed with images of dancing and photo booths.

But a sigh returned to Star as she shifted in the haystack she lay in, and her eyes drifted to the stars in the inky purple sky. Her silvery namesakes twinkled like spilled glitter around two crescent moons. Fixed and unchanging. Destined to trace predictable paths across the cosmos forever. Just like her. When the sun spread its yellow fire along the horizon, Star would be leading her ragtag army into Mewni to liberate the kingdom from Mina's tyranny. It went without saying that this act would change everyone's lives permanently. With the last threat to monsters gone, they could finally live in freedom alongside Mewmans. Star also knew there were talks of making her Queen—something she had spent most of her life avoiding like the plague. Was she ready to defeat a nearly immortal band of warriors and their crazed leader? Could she really take the throne? The questions rattled in her head, making her queasy.

In addition to the uncertainty of the endgame, Star had to deal with the fact that she was leading her friends into danger. And against magical freaks. As much she wanted to believe everything would go well, they were just a small, untrained force. She could lose everyone she ever loved. The thought made her curl into a ball, hugging her knees. What if I lose Marco? Tears seeped through her eyelids. Just thinking about it for a second made Star dizzy. There was no way she could face life without him.

"Star?" As if on cue, she saw Marco standing in front of her haystack hideaway.

He had taken off his hoodie, which was tied around his waist, leaving him only in his "I'm a Hot Dawg" shirt. Seeing her in her frayed emotional state wiped the grin off his face. "Everything okay, Star? Tom is buying another round of cornshakes."

"I'm fine," she put on a brave face.

He studied her for a moment, then climbed in the haystack with her. Star buried her face into his chest, unleashing a torrent of tears into his shirt. A gentle hand caressed her back as she cried for several moments. Sniffling, she finally confessed, "I'm scared."

"I know," Marco held her tighter. "Me too."

She could tell by the heaviness in his voice and the way his grip tightened slightly that his fears were her own. Their eyes met briefly before lifting up to the stars. With her ear against Marco's chest, the festive sounds of the tavern were muddled by the sounds of his heart. She also felt his body expand with each breath in a perpetual rhythm of life. What if it stops? Panic seized her soul in terror. Her mind summoned horrifying images of Marco laying still on the battlefield, covered in blood. She felt the coldness of his torn skin under her fingertips. The smell of death lingered in her nose.

"Star?" Back in reality, Marco shook her. "Talk to me—I can feel your heart racing."

"I have a lot on my mind," she began. "I have to save Mewni, find a way to defeat Mina, and then there's potentially this queen thing…It's just…" Her voice trailed away.

Marco nodded, "It is a lot. One minute, we're having an awesome beach day in Echo Creek, and, the next, we're caught up in this huge battle for the soul of Mewni. I thought we were going to finally have a quiet summer for once."

The wistfulness in his voice gave Star pause. Did he regret coming back to Mewni with her? She insisted that he stay in Echo Creek since the journey through the Realm of Magic was likely a one-way trip. Nevertheless, steadfast Marco followed her through it all: from losing their memories temporarily, to the hollow shell of the Butterfly castle, and, at last, the tavern at the end of the multiverse. "Do you want to go back?" Star asked. It would be a difficult undertaking, but Janna could lead him to the sanctuary.

Marco made a face, declining her firmly, "No, my place is by your side forever."

"But you might never go back to Earth and live a normal life. Marco, you realize if we win and I become queen, that'll make you—"

"—Your king," he finished her sentence. "I know. It's funny because I told Mr. Candle that I was thinking about being king of Mewni to expose Tom." The memory made them laugh for a moment until silence reclaimed the night.

They snuggled together, and Star mused over her thoughts before saying, "You're really willing to give up everything?"

"Are you?"

"Of course," her eyes flashed with determination. "These are my people, and I am choosing to help them and make Mewni better."

"Then so do I," he sat up and took her hands, facing her with a bold, steady gaze. "Star, you're my everything. I'd never leave you alone to face Mina or being queen. No matter where you go, I'll follow you like morning follows night."

"And that's a problem," she replied sharply. "What if I lose you? We have to fight these giant Solarian warriors, and I love you too much to see you get hurt and—" She slapped a hand over her lips and blushed.

Did I just drop the L-word? Of course, Star had always felt that way about Marco. He meant the multiverse to her as her friend, confidant, and former squire. Recently, boyfriend and lover were thrown into the mix—a long time coming. The sudden change of their relationship was not a shock to anyone, except Tom. In fact, it was not a shock to Star herself. No one else was her home and her lifeline like Marco. That being said, confessing that to him was still weird. She saw his eyes grow wide like brown moons, reflecting the starlight in them. He's so cute, she smiled, "Sorry, if that was a little weird, boo."

"Not at all," he laughed gently. "But Star, you know why I came with you? I know the dangers of fighting a war and being stuck on Mewni, and yeah, I know there's a chance this can all go wrong, but—" He squeezed her hand. "I love this."

She watched their fingers intertwine together, "Yeah, so do I."

"And I love you too." He tilted her chin to share a passionate kiss under the cosmos that was conspiring to keep them apart.

"Hey, Marco!" Tom's shout made them pull apart abruptly. "Are you and Star out here? We're about to play some ping-pong!"

"Coming!" Marco answered, and Star realized the pile of hay conveniently hid them from her ex-boyfriend. Things were better between them, but Tom was still weirded out by PDA. He has no room to talk, Star smirked. Everyone saw how close the demon had become with Janna. The long gazes, the accidental handholding—it was only a matter of time before the two got together. If they already aren't, she giggled.

Suddenly, a strange feeling rose in Star, causing her to tug on Marco's shirt when he tried to leave. "I don't know how to say this," she murmured. "But…I don't want you to leave me tonight."

Immediately, he settled back into the stack, "Yeah… I feel the same."

The future was still terrifying—both the immediate and far-reaching—but neither Star nor Marco worried about it. The night was theirs, and their hearts were in love forever.