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luckycheesefoodie321 · 5 years ago

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Prince of Tennis (2019) meme

I was tagged by @hardworkingprocrastinator aka @rupru-russiaxprussia whom I do believe I ranted with about the Imperial Pair ship, and the unexpected potential of Si Yang x Qi Ying… so thanking you kindly for another excuse to rave about ChinaPuri… sooo uhhh time for some fun times!!

Tagging: I have 0 idea who to tag because we a smaller fandom

Warning: I have not watched or read the original manga/anime soooooo I’m in an even smaller subset of the fandom babeyyyy!!! It has also been a couple months since I watched the show, so there is a strong chance I’ll have forgotten names and situations, and just general thoughts I have... BUT WHATEVER time to rant to the thirteen people who’ve watched ChinaPuri!!!

Questions:

1. Favorite character(s)? 2. Favorite school team(s)? 3. Favorite coach(es)? 4. Favorite supporting cast member(s)? (characters who aren’t regulars, aren’t on tennis teams etc.) 5. Favorite original character(s) in the adaptation? 6. Who do you think enacted their role best? 7. Favorite singles match? 8. Favorite doubles match? 9. Favorite story arc? 10. Most amusing tenipuri scene(s)/moment(s)/running joke(s)? 11. What did you like most about the adaptation? 12. What do you think the adaptation could have improved on? 13. Any other thoughts you want to share?

Answers: THIS ISH GETS LONGGGGG SO CUT OFF NOW

1. Favorite character(s)?

MU SI YANG BABEYYYYY!!! I already love a stoic glasses boi, but Mu Si Yang (again not TeniPuri Tezuka, just ChinaPuri Si Yang) may be one of my favourite takes on the stoic glasses boi… like I don’t often enjoy live action versions of anime, especially because the acting is never the best (and granted this one too, had some okay performances) but the guy who plays Mu Si Yang melted my heart… he was the stony-faced serious captain, who could deliver a subtle joke that left you snickering… but he was also the determined, earnest, crazy talented leader with his own hidden struggles who just wanted to take his team and friends as far as they go into competition… which is an essential part of any good sports drama… and he captured it so perfectly… and I love him.. he’s so beautiful too… I would fall in love with him in a heartbeat, and I don’t often say that about characters (like I love them but never in love ya dig?)

Zhou Zhi was a close favourite…basically I just love the two genius senpais…

2. Favorite school team(s)?

Oh god… Yu Feng maybe? We spend the most time with them, they have the most screen time of all the other teams…we have a whole training arc where they’re continuously winning against the struggling to evolve Yu Qing…very reminiscent of the Karasuno-Nekoma rivalry in that they help each other get better… I would’ve loved to see the rivalry/camaraderie develop even more so that when Si Yang leaves, the relief at having this network of tennis friends would’ve been that much more powerful…

Also I really enjoy Xu Ziping’s hustle… I love the story of Yu Feng…they had a shitty coach and had to make a deal to keep winning in order to even remain an official team… and when Yu Qing faced Yu Feng, I really couldn’t tell who I wanted to root for because I knew there was real weight behind every loss for Yu Feng…

After that, maybe No. 6… they’re so chill, they’re not straining for each win and just enjoying their time on the court…and the Old Coach dude was a great character to introduce...

3. Favorite coach(es)?

Maybe No. 6’s coach… I legit can’t remember his name but he oozes skill and experience without all the stress of younger coaches who bend over backwards for success… and while, again, the circumstances surrounding his appearance was a bit waffle-y in execution (which is about par for live action adaptations), I love that he serves as a sage outsider who can assess in three seconds what kind of player Lu Xia is, and what he needs to do to improve… I love me a good wise character who still knows how to inspire people in a fun way but you never, for a second, doubt that what they’re saying is legit advice, even if their mannerisms are goofy…

4. Favorite supporting cast member(s)? (characters who aren’t regulars, aren’t on tennis teams etc.)

Oh I mean…Stretcher Bros for life amirite? They were great…they were just hanging out, trying out.. Huang Jing is kinda jerk-ish, but he’s the starting antagonist who turns out to have a pure heart and a genuine love of the sport (kinda like Tsukishima Kei from Haikyuu!! or the GoMs from Kuroko no Basuke)… and Xiu Wen is such a soft boi who wants to shower in peace without girls being in the locker room…

Put these two besties together forever…and I just love how cuddly they are with each other…no hesitation to hold hands or hug…it’s gooood

5. Favorite original character(s) in the adaptation?

Um…idk who’s an original character??? Again never watched the original anime/read the manga!

SO IMMA CHANGE THIS TO FAVOURITE SHIP!

5.5. Favourite ship? (Get ready my friendsss issa long one)

Si Yang x Qi Ying my friendssss… a super unexpected pairing that came outta nowhere!!! Because the trailer clearly shows (or maybe it doesn’t and I forgot) that Lu Xia and Qi Ying are gonna be THE THING but then we get hit with the surprise senpai-kouhai/team manager ship and I’m like uhhh were you planning this or am I reading into it too much???

Like y’all they were flirting right in the beginning… that whole bit where she stands outside the change rooms and Si Yang confronts her, and she begs him to add Lu Xia to the team (even tho he already did) and he was weirdly teasing her about the roster when he had no reason to, and she was kinda bantering back with him and she fully called him out later on… i was like, umm this is a vibe

They just kept getting thrown together in weird ways…aside from Lu Xia, she’s probably had the most interactions with Si Yang of all the other team members… she’s the only one he calls Xiao~ like the boys in the tennis club have their nicknames like Dachi, Ah Mu, Ah Yan, but only Qi Ying is Xiao Ying!! he’s not a nickname guy… and maybe if it were a girl/cheerleader thing, you’d think he’d call Peng Xiang, Xiao Xiang BUT NO… only Qi Ying gets called Xiao Ying!!!

AND ANOTHER THING: other than Lu Xia, he’s the only one concerned for Qi Yang, despite what he says, when she gets caught in the rain and gets sick… he fully visits her in her room, and receives the call about her health after they send her to the hospital… he says everyones worried BUT YO they’re straight up just bored and end up having a pillow fight…sooooo can’t be that worried…

AND ONE MORE THING: Qi Ying, I get she’s this weird mascot/team manager figure on their team (even tho she’s meant to be a cheerleader but they never invite Peng Xiang to any of their team dinners or their training camp) BUT WHEN SI YANG RETURNS HOME, THEY SEND IN QI YING TO GREET HIM and they have this whole charming convo where she teases him...and they were chatting as if they always had this banter going on but they’d only talked like 3 or 4 times on screen before then, so there’s this whole relationship she has with the tennis team (not just Lu Xia) that is implied but we don’t really see it! And when she teasingly calls him Captain Si Yang after he returns to China, he had the softest smileeee!!! HE TOTALLY DOES HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR HER!! He didn’t want her to think he wasn’t happy to see her... and then she leads him to their surprise party in the club room and he just keeps saying Xiao Ying… like damn you keep trying to establish the Lu Xia x Qi Ying ship (and it is a decently strong ship) but Si Yang x Qi Ying is soooo good!

After this Rival Pair, and then Golden Pair - our resident married couple

(POST Here: all the gay faves they didn’t even try to hide)

(POST Here: almost confirmed ships by the end)

6. Who do you think enacted their role best?

I…I think this is obvious… NEXT

Jk… other than Si Yang, I really enjoyed the guy who plays Lu Xia - Peng Yu Chang… he played the typical “stoic, super talented/genius sports idiot” type prolific in sports anime (like Furuya from Daiya no A, Kageyama from Haikyuu!!, Midorima from KnB)… but he was never too stuck in his head, and he was never mean… too often there’ll be a moment where this type of character is played too seriously, gets stuck in their own head, and lashes out at anyone they deem getting in their way, especially when they feel they’re stuck in a rut… which Lu Xia is in, for essentially the entirety of the show, in one form or another…

But PYC played Lu Xia as this mildly cocky, but still incredibly enthusiastic young genius who is looking for the next big challenge so as to further himself, but is so obsessed with this one opponent (his dad), that he can’t see the bigger picture and realise his entire way of playing is a mirror of the very opponent he’s trying to overcome… but even at the height of his stagnation, he’s never mean to Qi Ying, who tries her best to support and encourage him… while he does distance himself from the team, it’s not an active dismissal of their assistance or support… he can play a straight faced comic when embarrassed/discombobulated (like Si Yang when faced with Yan Juice), but also always participates in most of the weird antics his team is up to… and it never feels OOC and thats clearly a result of Peng Yu Chang’s subtle acting…

ALSO PENG YU CHANG IS IN OUR SHINING DAYS, A SUPER UNDERRATED CHINESE FILM THAT HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO BE ADAPTED INTO LIKE, A ONE SEASON SHOW AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU WATCH IT

7. Favorite singles match?

Oh pfft… please… PLEASE IS THERE EVEN A QUESTION it was arguably the best match of the whole show, it was what we were all waiting for, a super tension filled, super hyped up match because it features my favourite character, who has simultaneously been promoted as THE BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM but also super injured and avoiding over-exertion… MU SI YANG…against his personal rival, whom had never tasted defeat before, and subsequently trained like crazy, throwing all of the money at professional players, FOR A YEAR, in order to be ready to face him… JI JING WU

That’s right baby, its the Imperial Pair Match (I do hope I’m using all these nicknames correctly..I just tried to pick them up from the anime/manga to save time writing out their names XD)…

This match is everything you ever want in a match…it’s a gritty, no-holds-barred, all-out, clash-of-titans-style face-off between probably the two most talented players in that whole (province? Prefecture? Idk China regional names) BUT YEAH THESE TWO ARE CLEARLY TOP TIER PLAYERS WHO FINALLY GO HEAD TO HEAD… it’s a year in the making, Ji Jing Wu is in peak physical condition, but Si Yang is not…and yet we see Si Yang powering through the literal agony of an arm injury that threatens complete destruction of not only his tennis career, but his general usage of that arm… and for glory and to bring his team to the national stage, Si Yang lays it all on the line… and he still gives Ji Jing Wu a run for his goddamn money… he matches him hit for hit, and at one point he was even WINNING…and had it not been for his arm, I swear up and down that he would’ve beaten Jingwu…

BUT THAT��S NOT EVEN THE BEST PART… i mean, all sports anime and just shounen anime in general have those moments where the characters are down and out and summoning the power of friendship and determination to their side to go above and beyond the physical limitations of their bodies… NO THE ACTUAL BEST PART WAS JI JINGWU’S RESPONSE TO THE WHOLE SITUATION

The goddamn respect he gave Si Yang.. this is his rival, the only person he’s ever viewed as equal and even superior to his own skills (at least as far as people the same age as him go)… Jingwu wants to beat him so bad… and he’s heard the rumours about Si Yang’s injury, and he even sees for himself how bad the injury is… but as a skilled player who recognises skill himself, he does not do Si Yang the disrespect of going easy on him… what kind of arrogant prick has that kind of nerve to give less than their best to someone who is giving them 120% effort… no, Ji Jingwu doesn’t hesitate to hit back full power, even as he’s yelling at Si Yang to stop before his arm is utterly destroyed… because the last thing any person of talent would want, is to see another person lose such an incredible gift… but even worse than that, have that person realise someone was going easy on them... it was so goddamn beautiful… and when Jingwu grips Si Yang’s hand and raises it high because he and everyone there knows who the real winner of that match is…they all know that they just witnessed something incredible, and he wants everyone in the stands to not only acknowledge it… but remember it…

And then he proceeds to fund Si Yang’s surgery, his flight, his meals, his rehabilitation, AS WELL AS take care of his team… and if that isn’t love, idk what is… like they don’t even disguise the hard core DEDICATION AND LOVE... Jingwu has obsessed over Si Yang for a year and it goddamn shows

Honourable Mention: I really enjoyed Zhou Zi versus the demon child whose eyes go red…we finally get to see Zhou Zi stretch his legs and push himself and I LOVED THAT… like he’s actually trying his best and that’s dope… also the match against the captain of the team his little brother his on… he basically led this cocky motherfucker by the nose for 5 games, pretends to be losing, and then destroys him in the following 7…

OH AND I GOTTA SHOUT OUT MY OTHER GLASSES BOI YAN ZHIMING VERSUS HIS BEST GUY FRIEND FROM YOUTH… that was a beautiful evolution of Ah Yan transcending but also evolving his data tennis against his childhood friend and it feels good ya know?

8. Favorite doubles match?

Oh pfft anything with the Rival Pair… they bicker like cat and dog, but then you put them on the court together, and suddenly their chemistry is through the roof… also Baiyang and Qiao Chen are a stronger couple than Qiao Chen and Yu Xing Zi and that’s the damn tea

(Same two posts for why that tea)

9. Favorite story arc?

Oh man… ummm training arc with Yu Feng was fun but it was definitely beaten out by the “village raises a child” arc when Si Yang leaves, so literally all their previous opponents step up to encourage, train, or otherwise intimidate Yu Qing into giving it their all, improving, and ultimately winning the finals… plus this arc gave so much depth to the network of teams who all have the same aspirations, in the end, and want to push forward the people who beat them to not let their loss be in vain…and that’s pure…

10. Most amusing tenipuri scene(s)/moment(s)/running joke(s)?

Yan Juice... especially the first time NEXT

Honourable Mentions: When Lu Xia gets stood up by Xinglong Lu Xia running interference on Qi Ying’s admirer in the final ep When Zhou Bros run into Lu Xia in the dressing rooms Stretcher Bros trying to become Painter Bros

11. What did you like most about the adaptation?

It captured the essence of a good sports anime: power of friendship, ridiculous action sequences of outrageous moves that would never be allowed in real life, determination and guts is all you need to succeed, that all-or-nothing mentality of high schoolers who suddenly have tunnel vision and no future thinking whatsoever, and decide to risk life and limb for one match… plus it kept a charming and comedic beat running throughout, really endeared you to the characters, and their struggles... AND NO ONE WAS MEAN... well I mean Ya Jiuxin was an angry bitter jerk for a hot second, but he ended up being endeared towards the lil fluffball kouhai of his, and we all know he loves Xinglong in his heart of hearts... other characters like Jingwu, or demon child, or Zhou Yu’s captain were cocky or arrogant, but they were never mean to each other, and respected each other’s game play even if they were defeated.. a couple were poor losers, but they didn’t throw a fit or try to get revenge or anything like that... everyone, in general, had some decency to them, and in fact all of Yu Qing was a super nice...sometimes too nice and self-deprecating that you wanted to smack them...

12. What do you think the adaptation could have improved on?

This is mostly just a consequence of live action adaptations of sports anime where they have to condense a whole lot of story that is already condensed from the manga into a palatable show that anyone, not necessarily pre-existing fans of the original source, can enjoy… the story around the characters seemed waffle-y and disjointed… sometimes things would happen but wouldn’t connect smoothly to the next thing that happens… there was this whole implied close relationship between Qi Ying and the team that just was never shown… I would’ve preferred they made her an official manager, so it would make sense that she’d be so close to the team, when for whatever reason, Peng Xiang wasn’t…even tho they’re both cheer captains…

The match sequences were cut down a little too much (tho I get why)… I would have loved that final training arc to be extended, to fully flesh out how discombobulated Yu Qing was when Si Yang had to leave, and how forcefully the other teams picked them up and got them better… so to develop the dynamic between the teams before this would’ve been good, but obviously they can only got the core actors of each team at a time… hence that barbecue scene… but if they’d pulled off something like the Haikyuu!! Tokyo training arc, or even something like in KnB where the teams were thrown together in wacky hijinks or impromptu match situations to develop their camaraderie (and they sorta tried to but nothing really came of the interactions), it would’ve made the final training arc THAT MUCH MORE heartwarming and I would have cried..

13. Any other thoughts you want to share?

I’ve already said enough. The end.

20 notes · View notes

thdorkmagnet · 5 years ago

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Light of the Sun and Stars Chapter 27: Monster Mayhem

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: Marco goes to visit Buff Frog and the other Monsters and decides to let Daisy and Violet tag along. Violet is overjoyed but Daisy is less than enthusiastic, still afraid of Marco’s Monster family. Can Marco and his family convince the little girl there is nothing to fear?

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

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Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

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“Hold still, sweetie!” Lily commanded softly, struggling to put the backpack on her daughter's back, Violet jumping around so much it was becoming nearly impossible. But the young girl was too excited to listen, as she continued to squirm. She had waited her whole life for this day and it seemed the anticipation was proving too much for her to handle as her thoughts ran wildly out of control. Today was the day she was going to finally meet a real life Monster! “Violet if you don't behave I won't allow you to go with Marco and Star,” her mother reprimanded.

The girl instantly stilled, allowing her mother to finish, though she did comment impatiently, “Come on, mom! Hurry up, I want to get going!”

Lily ignored her daughter's whining voice, as she looked over to her other child, who sat on her bed, unmoving, hugging a pillow to her chest. “Daisy, you should hurry up and get ready, Star and Marco will be here soon,” she said patiently.

Daisy frowned, asking softly, “Do I have to go?”

Lily stood and walked over to her peach-haired daughter, cupping her cheek in her hand as she stared into her nervous eyes. “Daisy, Marco was nice enough to offer to take you with him while he's visiting his family today, don't you think it is only right to be grateful to him?”

Daisy nodded slowly, though the hesitancy was still hidden behind her eyes. She looked up at her mom again, saying worriedly, “But what if the Monster's try and eat me or-”

“Sweetie,” her mother interrupted her, her voice low and soothing. “Do you think I would let you go if I thought it was dangerous?” Daisy shook her head, squeezing her pillow tighter. “Do you think Marco or Star would take you if they thought there was even a chance you could get hurt?” The girl's lip quivered as she shook her head again. “Than don't you think that maybe you can trust us to know what is best for you?”

The girl didn't reply at first, her eyes just roaming around the room for a few seconds, before she answered, in a voice barely above a whisper, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Good girl,” Lily said, giving her daughter a quick peck on the forehead. “Now why don't you help me and Violet finish packing?”

The girl's face brightened some, as she took her mom's hand and stood up from the bed, helping stuff the rest of their supplies into her purple, flower print backpack. “Mom, can we take a few snooker's bars with us?” Violet asked, holding out a couple of the candy bars for her mom to see.

Her mother eyed them for a moment, thinking it over, before saying, “I'm not sure if allowing you two sugar on your trip is a good idea.”

“Aww, but mom-” Violet started to whine, when there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Lily said automatically and the door opened to reveal Star and Marco, with smiling faces, holding each others hands tight.

“Big brother!” Daisy screamed, running over to hug the boy. Even though she was still afraid, she couldn't help but feel joyful seeing her honorary brother. She threw her arms around him and he released Star's hand to hug her tightly back.

“Hey!” he greeted, equally cheerfully. “Are you two excited to meet my family?”

“Yeah!” Violet screamed, pumping a fist in the air, while Daisy visibly tensed but kept her mouth shut.

“Well, we better start heading out then,” Star said, her voice shaking some with the anticipation of the adventure that awaited them. She hadn't been out of the castle in days, save for the ordeal at Fang Tang's a few days ago, but the less said about that the better. She could really use a break from all the hard, mentally draining work she had been doing. And since her commission was finally set up and ready to have it's first meeting in less than a week, she figured now would be as good a time as any to get away from it all. And a trip with her boyfriend, cousins and the Monsters didn't sound like a bad thing at all. She just hoped she could maybe sneak some alone time with the boy, later on. The two hadn't even been able to watch the sunset like they usually did in weeks and she was starting to become starved for some extra attention from her bestie.

“Okay!” Violet screamed, not even bothering to wait, as she ran out of the room, shouting over her shoulder, “Bye mom, see you tonight!”

Lily sighed as she watched her daughter run out of the room, Star following after her to keep an eye on her. She then turned to the hooded teen, who was still being squeezed by her older daughter. “Thank you for offering to take them with you, Marco. I know those two can be a bit of a handful,” Lily thanked him warmly.

Marco shook his head replying, “Oh, it's no trouble. I love spending time with them and Star's coming with, so we shouldn't have any problem taking care of them.”

“Well still, I think it is very sweet of you to do this for them. I know Violet is excited.”

Marco looked down at Daisy, who still had him in a death grip, burying her head in Marco's hood. “What about you, Daisy? You seem upset.”

“Oh she's just a little nervous about meeting the Monsters is all,” Lily said honestly.

Marco frowned and looked down at the girl, saying reassuringly, “There's nothing to be worried about Daisy. My family is really nice. You'll like them, I promise!”

The girl didn't respond and the boy gave her a sad look. He didn't want her to be afraid, least of all of his family. Maybe once she got there and actually met them she would feel better and be more comfortable around them. But part of him considered leaving her here, not wanting to frighten her more than she already was. Lily seemed to be able to tell what the boy was thinking, as she walked closer holding the sealed backpack, telling him, “She'll be fine, Marco. She is going have to face this fear eventually. The world is changing and she needs to be able to face the Monsters, since I have a feeling that they're alliance with us will only grow stronger with time.”

“I hope so,” Marco admitted softly. It was wishful thinking, but one he would welcomingly believe.

Lily bent down and put the backpack over her daughter's shoulders, the girl turning when she was done and giving her mother a quick hug. She moved so her head was buried in her mother's shoulder, hiding her gaze from her mom's watchful eye, whispering quite enough that Marco couldn't hear, “Please don't make me go.”

Lily pulled out of the hug, giving her daughter a soft smile. She said nothing as she gently brushed the bangs out of her eyes. Her look told her that she was doing this for her own good, but it did nothing to still Daisy's fears any. She reluctantly took her big brother's hand and let herself be led out of her room.

…

“I'm telling you the flowers should go over there!” Beard Deer's loud yell echoed through the treetops and nearly caused the now completed Diaz home to rattle. He jabbing a finger in the desired direction, a spot of cleared ground on the side of the house waiting to be utilized to help bring life to the empty yard. But it seemed the Monsters were all having trouble agreeing on what the best course of action for that would be, none of them exactly expert exterior decorators, causing bitter feelings and arguments to break out often.

“Well if we put them there, where am I supposed to put the lawn gnomes?” Bearicorn argued back, holding up the the three eyed ceramic gnome to the angry second-in-command.

“Nowhere,” Beard Deer countered forcefully, the look in his eyes strong enough to make the flowers wilt. “Those things are creepy, you want to scare Marco every time he comes over!”

“But without them, then our garden won't be safe from demon bunnies!”

“You really believe that nonsense, that's just a dumb myth!” Beard Deer spat irritably.

“Oh yeah well tell that to my great-grandbear who got eaten by one of those things!” Bearicorn shouted, before he got a sad look on his face at the unhappy memory.

“Um, Beard Deer?” Spike Balls spoke up and the Monster in charge huffed, before whipping his head around to snap, “What?!”

The large Monster held out a cactus, which was held delicately in his oversized hands. “Where should I put this?”

The two Monsters eyes widened at the dangerous plant. “Where did you get that?” Bearicorn asked nervously.

“You asked me to buy one at one of the Earth vendors,” Spike Balls explained.

Beard Deer face-palmed. “I said carnations, you idiot, not cactus!”

“Oh,” Spike Balls said sheepishly.

“Great, what are we supposed to do with this?” Beard Deer growled in frustration. He swore these morons were going to make him lose his mind.

“Welllll at least we got the cornflower seeds like you asked,” one of the two-headed Monster's head cautiously uttered.

“Uhhh,” the other head interrupted, showing him the empty bag, a small rip in the bottom. Behind them, Big Chicken was pecking away at the scattered seeds like there was no tomorrow.

Beard Deer now looked ready to explode with anger, his teeth grating together painfully and the other Monsters took a wary step back, ready for him to snap. But just as his mouth opened to scream another biting comment, a claw landed on his shoulder and he turned to see Buff Frog with a calm and levelheaded look, Boo Fly perched on his shoulder. “Please, all of you, enough arguing. Marco be here soon and he bring guests,” he said and the others all got excited looks on their faces at that thought. Buff Frog had his own smile on his face, as he added, “Must be on best behavior and not fight in front of Marco.”

The others all nodded and quickly began to scatter to finish preparations for his arrival. They wanted the reveal of the finished house to be a momentous occasion for their young family member and needed everything to be perfect for when he got there. Buff Frog gave Beard Deer a pat on the shoulder before firmly stating, “I will oversee things from here.”

The deer Monster saluted, not daring to argue with his leader. From there, the amphibian oversaw all the last bit of finishing touches for his home, directing his Monsters where needed and getting things done in record time. Buff Frog was just admiring the finished work when a voice from above asked, “Uhh, boss where do you want this?” Spike Balls asked, still awkwardly holding the cactus in his giant, rounded hands.

“Marco bringing over kids, would be best to get rid of,” Buff Frog said and the Monster nodded, before throwing it with all of his strength, sending it flying over the treetops. The muscular frog watched it until it disappeared from sight, before turning back to the tall Monster. “Not what I meant.”

A second later, there was the familiar sound of a portal opening, all the Monsters turning to see a pair of scissors ripping a hole through reality. They all sucked in a breath, as Marco and Star walked out of it holding hands, along with two young girls. One had her hand linked with the hooded teen's free hand and was trying to hide behind him as they stepped through, nearly out of sight from the Monsters. The other just stood there slack-jawed, staring at them all with sparkling pupils.

After a few seconds of staring, she let out a high-pitched squeal that startled all of the Monsters, causing them to jump in surprise and worry, thinking something was wrong. “Oh my gosh, real Monsters!” she screamed in joy, her body shaking as she struggled to contain the level of excitement she was feeling. “Big brother! Star! Look there are Monsters, real Monsters here!” She held her arms out in gesture toward them and Star and Marco both shared a smile.

“Yes, Violet we know,” Star said, shooting her a grin.

She moved speedily closer to them, her mouth moving a mile a minute as she darted between each of the startled Monsters. “I have so many questions!” she continued, still at a near squeal. “What do you guys eat? Have you ever eaten Mewmans? Marco and mom said you don't but I want to make sure. Oh can you do dark magic, like raising the dead and stuff like that? Cause that would be really cool! Could you teach me how? I would love to bring my dead hamster back to life and scare Daisy with it.”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down small Mewman girl,” Buff Frog spoke up, stepping out from the crowd of Monsters and bending down so he was level with the child. “Can't answer questions if you talk too fast.”

“Sorry,” Violet said, her cheeks flushing for a second, before continuing earnestly. “I'm just really excited to meet you guys! Oh, my name is Violet by the way!”

“Well we happy to meet you, Violet. I Buff Frog, Marco's father. He said you very interested in Monsters.”

Violet nodded once, “Yeah, big brother has told me a lot about you and it's always been a dream of mine to meet a real life Monster.

“Really,” Buff Frog said, giving the girl a kind smile.

“Yep, I even sleep with a stuffed one every night, even though Daisy thinks it's silly,” Violet continued.

“You do,” the frog Monster questioned, his voice light and cheerful.

“Mm-hmm, I can show you,” the dark-haired girl said, before taking her backpack off and pulling out the small stuffed Monster that was black with small horns and a single eye. She handed it to Buff Frog who eyed it closely.

“Oh, is very handsome, must be strong and brave,” the frog observed seriously and Violet smiled proudly.

“His name is Charles. Mom got it for me for my birthday,” she explained, hopping up and down on the heels of her feet.

Buff Frog smiled and handed it back to her, telling her, “Well something that important must be kept safe.” The girl nodded in agreement and stuffed it back into the bag, before zipping it shut.

The frog Monster gave her hair a small tousle, telling the girl, “You should go say hi to other Monsters, they very happy to meet you too!”

The girl nodded and took off to speak with each of the Monsters and pester them with a million questions, none of which they minded. Buff Frog watched her go, before walking over to his son and wrapping him up into a tight, but not crushing hug. “Marco, my boy, so good to see you!”

“Hey dad!” Marco replied, equally cheerful, the smile on his face so wide it was stretching out his cheek mark, which spun in a lazy circle. “I'm really excited about today!”

Buff Frog laughed. “Me too!”

“Thanks for letting the girls come, I hope you don't mind.” Marco's voice had a sheepish undertone, even though they had discussed this already, he still felt uncomfortable for whatever reason for even asking the frog such a request.

But his dad was quick to shoot down any worries, as he said in a happy tone, “Of course not, Marco! They family to you, they family to us!”

The moment the Monster pulled away, he noticed the other little girl hiding behind his son, who stared up at him with fearful eyes. The second he caught her eye, she looked away burying her face into the back of Marco's hood.

“Who this little one?” Buff Frog asked, making sure to keep his voice light, so as to not scare her.

Marco put a hand on her head, telling his dad, “This is Daisy.”

“She's a bit.... nervous about being around Monsters,” Star explained hesitantly, doing her best not to upset Buff Frog.

The Monster leader smiled grimly, before turning back to the girl and saying in a soft, warm tone, “Hello, little one, no need be afraid, I won't hurt you.”

The girl didn't respond, so Star added in an equally calm voice, “Daisy, this is Marco's dad. He raised him and he is super nice.”

The girl raised her head up enough so that she was face to face with Buff Frog again and she softly muttered, “Hi.” Her eyes grew wide with fear, before she added in a terrified stutter, “P-Please don't eat m-me.” Her hand clenched the boy's pant leg even tighter, as her eyes drifted to her feet.

Father and son shared a sad look with each other, before Marco said, “Daisy he's not going to eat you, I promise. Just come out and say hello.” He put an encouraging hand on her back and she stiffened. But after a few seconds, she finally moved away from the protection of the boy, walking slowly toward the Monster, who remained still so he wouldn't frighten her anymore. She looked back at Star and Marco once in an almost pleading gaze, before staring at the Monster in front of her, nervously rubbing a foot on the ground.

“Marco tells me you like tea,” Buff Frog said and the girl nodded slowly in reply. “Would like me make you some?” he asked and the girl's eyes brightened for a second.

“You like tea,” she said.

Buff Frog nodded, “Oh yes, when I little like you, Marco's mom used to make me tea all the time.” The girl gave him a curious look, even as he held out his claw in offering. “So would you like try Monster made tea?”

“Is it... poisoned,” the girl asked worriedly.

Buff Frog chuckled and shook his head. “No, is not, I made sure,” he gave her a small wink and the girl finally grinned, it was hesitant and the mistrust was still written on her face, but it was definitely a start. Star and Marco, both shared victorious grins with each other, their plan working better than they had hoped and they squeezed each others hands in joy. But it quickly turned into a loving gaze, as they grew lost in their partner's stunning orbs, feeling a familiar heartbeat for a moment inside their chest.

Daisy took Buff Frog's claw and the Monster finally stood, starting to lead her toward the house. But he froze and nearly slapped a hand to his forehead as he suddenly remembered the surprise. “Oh nearly forgot!” he shouted, making the peach-haired girl look up at him curiously and a little fearfully. He turned back in the direction of his son, shouting, “Marco!”

Marco tore his gaze reluctantly away from his girlfriend, their cheeks painted pink, taking in the excited looks on his dad's face. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“Wanted to show you surprise!” Buff Frog said, before pointing to the house behind him and Marco finally took the thing in for the first time since arriving. The other Monsters turned at that, Bearicorn breaking off his conversation with Violet, who was asking question after question about the Monsters horn, wondering if he was somehow part unicorn, a mystery that went unsolved for the moment.

“Surprise Marco!” they all shouted, too late, but the hooded teen's bright smile was still there as he took in the fully constructed home in joy. It was a large two story home that looked like it had at least five bedrooms, maybe more, which made sense since many of the Monsters would be coming and going from there. The walls were a soft brown with white trimming and a red roof. The time and detail that they had surly put into its construction showed, the whole thing looking professionally built and Marco was sure his real dad couldn't have done a better job. But the thing that brought tears to his eyes was the large red sun engraved above the door frame, an exact replica to his cheek marks, as well as the plaque that read 'In memory of the Diaz Family'.

“You guys,” Marco squeaked out, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. “It looks perfect!”

“Glad you like it,” Beard Deer said, giving him a soft smile and going over to put an arm around his shoulders.

“Wait till you see the inside,” Lobster Claws said, excitedly as the two teens were led over to the entrance of the house, surrounded on all sides by the eager and chattering Monsters. Buff Frog and Daisy were in the lead, the little girl turning to her sister and shouting, “Violet, it turns out Monster's like tea just like I do and Marco's dad is going to let me try some, isn't that awesome!” Buff Frog hid his smile from the girl, keeping his eyes staring forward.

Violet got a jealous look on her face, as she whined, “What? I want to try some, too.”

“But you hate tea,” Daisy reminded her.

Violet scoffed and snapped, “Yeah but not Monster tea!”

“Well Mr. Buff Frog didn't ask you, so there?” Daisy shot back, sticking her tongue out at her sister, causing her to groan in anger.

Buff Frog with all the levelheadedness of a veteran parent merely stated, “Now, now children. No need to fight, is plenty for both of you.” This instantly stilled the girl's fast approaching argument as they both just shared a look. “Now why don't you two run inside and pick out cup you want?” he subtly hinted and the girl's instantly obeyed, running inside and giggling away, Buff Frog and the others watching them go.

“How did you do that, Buff Frog?” Marco asked in disbelief.

Marco's dad turned to him with a large, loving grin as he said, “You forget I raised you. I have fair share of fussy kids and how best deal with them.”

…

A few minutes later, the group was seated at the large kitchen table, Buff Frog pouring each of them a cup of tea from the teapot in his claws. Daisy and Violet wasted no time, the moment their cups were filled they both took a giant gulp, before spitting the stuff back out and whining about their burning tongues.

“I warned you was hot,” Buff Frog chuckled.

The other Monsters meanwhile were looking down at their own cups in confusion, Lobster Claws remarking, “We didn't know you knew how to do stuff like this boss.”

“Yes, well, many things I keep hidden from you all over years,” Buff Frog replied, pouring the tea into Star's cup, who thanked him gratefully.

He then stepped over to his son and poured him a glass. Marco looked down at the browish, almost caramel colored liquid before asking, “You said mom used to make this?”

Buff Frog nodded, before taking his seat next to his child. “Oh yes, this is her special recipe. Hopefully I got it right, been long time since last made it.”

Marco watched the steam steadily rise off of his cup, feeling his chest clench in sadness. He wished his mom could have made this for him herself, picturing her giving him a kiss on the head as she handed him his cup. He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he lifted the drink to his lips and allowed it to flow down his throat. As he did, he imagined that this was somehow a gift from her, yet another small piece of his family, a reminder that a part of them was still there and he treasured every sip. But as his taste buds activated, he let out a moan of delight, realizing that this stuff was quite delicious as well as important.

Once he lowered the cup back to the table, he was licking his lips, savoring the sweet drink as much as he could. The others seemed impressed as well, Star even commenting, “Wow, that's really good!” Even Daisy and Violet were gulping it down like there was no tomorrow, Daisy with of course her pinkie raised. They finished at nearly the same time, both letting out a satisfied sigh, before thrusting their cups toward Buff Frog again, asking nicely and with varying levels of excitement and eagerness, “More please!”

“Slow down you too, you don't want to ruin your appetite before lunch,” Star said and the two groaned in annoyance.

“Another cup won't hurt,” Buff Frog said, pouring them each another full glass and Star just smiled and shook her head. “Now make sure not to swallow too fast, could give stomach ache,” he added and the two nodded quickly.

“Thank you, Buff Frog!” Violet said, while Daisy just gave a hesitant nod. They both began drinking the substance again, though a bit slower this time.

Buff Frog smiled before turning to his own child, who's head was lowered to the table so he couldn't see his face, asking him, “So Marco what do you think of drink?”

He frowned as Marco didn't answer right away, keeping his eyes trained on his half-empty cup, and he felt concern clench his chest. The amphibian put a hand on the boy's back, asking worriedly, “Marco?”

The boy sniffed, wiping his nose with his shirt sleeve as he finally replied in a strained, tear-soaked voice, “It's delicious.”

Buff Frog smiled sadly, knowing exactly what was upsetting the boy, as he moved his arm around his small frame and pulled him to his side, saying softly, “Would you like some more?”

Marco nodded and finally caught his eye, which were shimmering with small unshed tears, but the smile on his face was genuine as he held the cup out for him.

Daisy and Violet looked over at Star with troubled frowns, Daisy asking, “What's wrong with Big Brother?”

“He just misses his parents a lot,” Star explained softly and the two shared a look, not understanding, but they stayed quiet as they watched the hooded teen drink the rest of his tea, his father holding him close as he did.

Once the boy was finished he set his cup down and cleared his throat, before asking, “So uh, do you guys have any plans for today?”

The Monsters all seemed unsure at the unexpected question, Boo Fly commenting, “Juzzzt zzpend time with you.”

Marco nodded before saying, “Right, right. I know but like how do you feel about... maybe going somewhere.” He tried to keep his voice calm, but the excited undertone was easily picked up by the Monsters.

Still they all played along as Buff Frog asked, “Do you have idea, Marco?”

“Welll...” he said as modestly as he could, reaching into the backpack by his side. “Star and I may have come up with an idea or two.” He pulled out a rolled up paper, setting it out on the table, as it unwound, covering the entire length of the table and the Monsters all stared at it in shock. The hooded teen seeing their faces, felt a blush light up his cheeks, as he admitted hesitantly, “I guess maybe I got a little carried away.”

“No, no, just surprise us is all,” Buff Frog quickly said, reading a few things off the list. “Is lot, though, might have to narrow down some.”

“Trust me this was actually the short list,” Star told them all, before smiling over at her boyfriend, who was twiddling his fingers.

“Well, I mean, I just wanted to get a chance to explore Mewni more thoroughly. I have lived here my whole life, but I don't feel like I actually know all that much about it.” None of them, mentioned the reason for this, the unspoken resentment toward the lizard who had practically imprisoned Marco entering all of their minds. “And I thought maybe checking out a few places would be a fun bonding kind of thing.” Marco shrugged and the Monsters all smiled at their youngest.

“Sounds like good plan to me,” Buff Frog said, giving his son's arm a squeeze. He looked over at his minions and friends, asking them, “How do you all feel about trip?”

They all either nodded or shrugged in agreement, Spike Balls adding, in a pleasant tone, “Anytime with Marco is a good idea to us.”

The hooded teen blushed and pulled his hood up over his eyes, to hide his pink cheeks. “You guys,” he whined in embarrassment. Star reached over and put a hand on his, drawing his eyes to her, as she told him, “See I told you they would say yes.”

“Yeah, you were right, Star,” Marco agreed and Star leaned closer, pulling his hood back so she could stare into his eyes easier. “And how about my reward for being right?” she asked with a playful smirk, making the boy's heart nearly stop beating it was pounding so erratically. Ignoring the anticipating stares of his family and the twins, he gave her the wanted kiss she was demanding, the girl putting a hand to his cheek as she let it deepen, keeping him trapped there as she tasted every inch of his lips and he happily complied, allowing her to lead the kiss. The whole time this was going on, Buff Frog and the other Monsters were smiling like crazy and trying not to gush over how cute their child and his girlfriend were as a couple, just watching them with silent smiles.

Daisy and Violet, however, had no sense of self-control for such things, as they sprang forward, over the table and tackled the hooded boy in a tight hug, making him break out of his kiss to let out a startled yelp. They nearly knocked him off his chair, but he managed to hold his balance, as he held the two giggling girls to his chest, his brain still fuzzy and his lips still tingling from the kiss. “Big brother, when are you two gonna get married already?!” Violet asked, squeezing his cheeks with her hands.

“Yeah and can I be one of the flower girl at your wedding?” Daisy requested making Violet turn to her with a glare.

“No way, I want to be the flower girl!” Violet demanded childishly.

“You hate flowers!” Daisy shot back.

“Well instead of flowers maybe I could use glass eyeballs or something,” Violet mumbled bitterly.

“Ew, Violet! That's gross!” Daisy gagged, which only made her sister even more angry.

“You're gross!”

“Girls, no arguing or we take you straight home,” Star reminded them in a chiding tone and the two turned to her with wide eyes, both of their mouths snapping shut. Though they still shot each other the occasional glare when they thought she wasn't looking.

“Now then, back to your trip,” Buff Frog interrupted, drawing the attention back to him. “Where you planning on us going, my son?”

Marco got a thoughtful expression, before he said, “Well, I'll be honest, I haven't decided yet. I have a lot of ideas, as you can tell...” he sheepishly gestured to the list. “But I don't think we'll have time to do them all.”

“May I make suggestion then?” Buff Frog asked and Marco nodded, smiling eagerly.

“Sure thing, dad,” he replied.

“My idea is place won't find on any map,” he said mysteriously and the boy's face lit up in anticipation.

“Really?” Marco breathed in wonderment.

“Oh yes, is only known by select few Monsters and I happen be one,” Buff Frog replied.

“Can you take us there?” Marco asked, his eyes begging and his frog father chuckled.

“Yes, I can,” he replied jovially.

…

The group of Mewmans and Monsters exited out of the portal, their mouths all gaped open at the beautiful clearing surrounding them. It was a great big open area surrounded and hidden from prying eyes by a thick wall of vegetation and/or cliffs. There was a waterfall there, which was oddly falling up and as they observed closer it seemed many things there were not harbored by the force of gravity. There were several flowers that floated in the air, instead of the ground, hovering there and glowing a soft white. The sight was one to behold, the sun hitting the water just right making a rainbow spray across their vision and the grass was all a pale blue, compared to the normal pink or green. In the river that flowed around the area, Marco could make out several blue gators wadding through the water, much like the one he had met so long ago. There were no houses or any signs of outside forces ever even entering the place, in fact the area looked completely untouched by organic hands.

“Wow, Buff Frog, what is this place?” Marco asked, taking a few steps forward, only to feel himself go weightless as he rose up off the ground. Marco let out a yelp of surprise, his arms waving wildly as he tried to balance himself, his body now just a foot above the floor and he tried futility to get himself back down to the forest floor.

Buff Frog quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to the floor, Marco sighing in relief and putting a hand over his pounding heart. “Must be careful, my boy. Gravity doesn't work same here as in rest of Mewni.”

“I'll remember that,” Marco replied, swallowing hard. Daisy and Violet on the other hand were cheering and clapping at what they had just witnessed, saying, “Oh wow, Big Brother flew!” or “Do it again, Big Brother!”

“Maybe later,” Marco told them, still having trouble speaking around the heart in his throat.

“I've never seen a place like this anywhere on Mewni before,” Star commented looking around the area in bewildered awe. “I didn't even know something like this could exist in this dimension.”

“Yes, well, we Monsters discovered it first and chose to keep hidden from Mewmans, knowing they had tendency to take what was not theirs.”

Star cringed at that. “Yeah, uh, sorry... about that,” the blond royal apologized sheepishly.

“Is okay, that was ancestors not you,” Buff Frog told her with a reassuring smile. He turned back to staring at the landscape, saying, “Place is called Gravity Falls, for obvious reasons.” They all watched as a flower floated by their heads, spinning lazily.

“How come you never brought us here before, Buff Frog?” Lobster Claws asked, looking hurt.

“Because, as said before, only few Monster know about place,” he explained, crossing his arms. “Less that know about it the better, at least that what my father said.”

“You sure, it's okay for us to be here now, then?” Marco asked in concern.

Buff Frog nodded. “Positive. Few Monsters come here nowadays, is very safe and good place to relax.”

“Can we go play?” Violet asked Star and Marco, bored of all the grown-up talking and itching to run around and explore.

“Sure,” Marco said with a nod. “But just stay where we can see you, okay?”

“Okay,” both girls replied, before racing off, Daisy looking much more comfortable and at ease now. They quickly started playing in the water scaring off the gators there, who put as much distance between the two girls as possible, before diving underwater. The Monsters quickly relaxed and lounged around, enjoying a day off without having to worry about fighting something or doing something, and finally able to just let go and do nothing for awhile, leaving Star and Marco relatively alone.

The young couple held hands, not sure what to do or say now, but more just enjoying the quiet moment together. “So, hey uh, do you... want to do something?” Marco asked, trying to fight the nervousness he was feeling. It was just Star after all, she was his bestie and girlfriend, there was no reason he should be nervous... at least he didn't think, he had only been on a couple of dates with her and was still not entirely sure what all dating entailed.

“Like what?” she asked patiently, her eyes shining brighter than a thousand diamonds and the words caught in Marco's throat.

He coughed, before saying, “I don't know, maybe like-”

Before he could finish his answer, there was a loud splash from the water and Star turned only to see the two girls now almost wrestling in the water and quickly raced over without a second thought to stop them from accidentally drowning one another. “Hey girls, stop that!” Star cried.

Marco felt disappointment bubble in his chest, but it didn't last long, after all they still had the whole day to hang out and today was really more about spending time with his dad and the rest of his family anyways.

And as if on cue, Marco suddenly felt something land on his shoulder and turned to see his dad smiling down at him. “So, my son, how is things with you?”

“Pretty good, actually,” Marco said, sitting on a fairly comfortable rock (after testing it to make sure it was stationary of course). Buff Frog took the seat next to him. “Is good. How is relationship with Star? Are you two doing okay?”

Marco didn't even have to think about his answer. “Oh yeah, she's great! We're doing great! Actually the other day we went on a date to this 'Corn Festival' thing and it was awesome!” He quickly pulled out his phone to show his dad a few pictures the two had taken, Marco and Star in various poses together and with facial expressions ranging from a mere smile to goofy looks to outright kissing one another, thus capturing the moment for all time.

But as his phone switched to the last picture this one of the two of them, passed out on his bed his head nuzzled into her chest as his girlfriend held him in a protective hug, he quickly squeaked and tucked his phone away, hoping his dad wouldn't comment on it. “Janna,” he muttered under his breath, knowing his creepy friend had to be responsible for that. It wouldn't be the first time she had stolen his phone to take a photo of the two when they didn't know she was there. Normally he didn't mind, but he didn't want to explain to his dad what had led up to that situation in the first place.

“What was that?” Buff Frog asked, a tiny bit of concern in his tone.

Oh boy. “I, uh, had a nightmare,” Marco replied simply, hoping his dad would drop the subject. He didn't want to talk about how ever since the Toffee incident he would occasionally have a nightmare where he was being strangled all over again or taken far away from his family and Star where no one would find him. Or more recently, he was forced to watch as Toffee disposed of everyone he loved right in front of him while he was powerless to stop him. It was why he didn't mind that the twins had begun making a habit out of sneaking into bed with him in the middle of the night, finding their presences comforting and he was able to sleep easier knowing someone else was there. Though that didn't help when his nightmares would come back to him during the day, when he was wide awake, because they felt so much more real then and would always throw his mind into a frenzy and his body into panic.

But his dad didn't pester him with questions or even ask what the nightmare had been about, only staring at him for a long moment before saying, “It happens.” Marco was thankful as he quickly moved on and dropped the subject moving on to a more lighthearted subject as he began telling Marco all about how he used to come to this place as a kid with his father and how special and important it was to him.

Marco listened closely, but allowed his eyes to stray to the water, watching as Daisy, Violet, and now even Star joined in on taking turns soaking one another, albeit now under Star's watchful eye, not letting it ever get too far out of hand as to raise any concern. He admired his girlfriend, as she laughed and played along with the two girls, laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. He liked seeing her like this, so relaxed and at ease, and he was enchanted with her every movement, of every way the light danced off her hair. He nearly laughed out loud as she lifted Daisy up and dipped her waste deep in the water, while the small royal screamed and kicked in joy. The boy felt a familiar heartbeat flicker in his chest and suddenly, Star looked over at him, her sky blue eyes conveying to him that she had felt it too. The two shared a smile, before he directed his full attention back to his dad.

Buff Frog carried on and on with his tales, filled with joy but at the same time was deep in thought. He knew Marco was keeping something from him, that there was something on his mind he wasn't telling him and that troubled Buff Frog deeply. His son was generally a very open boy and he had always been honest with him about nearly everything, sure there was the occasional lie growing up, telling him he had eaten all of his vegetables when there was still plenty on his plate, stuff like that, but overall nothing to this level. The worse he could think of was when he had snuck out of the castle against Toffee's wishes, but that had been more of to protect himself from Toffee's wrath than anything else.

But if Marco was having nightmare and seemed blatantly uncomfortable talking about it, then Buff Frog knew something was bothering him. Something that (with him at least) Marco seemed closed off about. And that wasn't the only example. He had picked up on several little conversations with his son that Marco was doing his best to hide something and as much as he wanted to pry it out of him, he also knew that that would do no good. Maybe he could speak about it with Star later, for now, he'd rather enjoy some quality time with his son and so to make sure that very thing happened he forced the thoughts out of his head.

The rest of the Monsters seemed to be enjoying themselves too, all finding something to keep them entertained while they were there. Big Chicken was pecking at the grass looking for seeds or bugs to chomp on. Bearicorn was climbing up a tree in an attempt to score some honey from a beehive. The two-headed brothers were in an intense argument about if a house would float out there. Boo Fly was sleeping, his small body suspended in mid-air as he relaxed and enjoyed being able to feel weightless without flapping his wings. Lobster Claws and Potato Baby were busy testing out the gravity streams, taking turns watching various things they could find float in fascination, and as Beard Deer walked by, he gave Lobster Claws a massive shove, which caused the crustacean to float in the air, his arms waving wildly as he screamed over the lack of balance, all while Potato Baby let a garbled laugh. The rest were all either napping in the sun or just laying back in the grass and doing nothing.

After a while, Star called out to her bestie, drawing his and Buff Frog's attention to the water, “Hey Marco, come join us!”

“Yeah, Big Brother come and play!” Daisy shouted.

Marco looked over at his dad, who gave him a nod to let him know it was okay, before he ran over, ripping off his prized hoodie, before taking a dive toward the water. But gravity worked against him once again, as it instead kept him floating in the air for a few seconds, his form slowing drifting over the three girls heads, before dropping him unceremoniously into the water. The teen came up sputtering and gasping for breath, while he heard the familiar laughter of Star and the twins, who all found his slip up immensely humorous. “It's not that funny,” Marco said and Star gave him an apologetic look inbetween gasps for breath.

“I'm... sorry Marco, but y-your face... it was j-just too funny!” She was laughing even harder now, looking like she was about to double over or pass out from lack of oxygen to her strained lungs.

Marco felt his face flush bright red, until an idea popped into his head, his cheeks spinning once in response. “Not as funny as yours,” he said playfully and the girl stopped laughing and gave him a confused look. That's when Marco swiftly splashed a big bunch of water into the girl's face, making her let out a startled cry. The boy laughed at the girl's soaking wet hair and dripping bangs, as she merely frowned over at him, though the smile behind her eyes was obviously there. And it turned into a real one as she said, playfully, “Oh yeah so that's how you want it to be. Then bring it on, Diaz!”

Daisy and Violet quickly joined in, each helping to sabotage the two teens, with little splashes of their own, while Marco and Star got into a splash fight, laughing the whole time, as Star sought revenge on her boyfriend. Eventually, Marco threw in the towel though as Star began to mercilessly tickle his sides and he laughed and squirmed in her grip. “Ha ha, okay Star that's enough! Haha, Star you win already, hahahaha, stop it that tickles!”

The girl finally ceased her ferocious attack as she held the boy tightly in her arms, his body slightly dipped toward the water. She couldn't resist as she leaned closer and gave him a small kiss on the lips, which he returned wholeheartedly. But just as the two separated, there was a large splash the aftereffect hitting the two full force, along with a massive wave that nearly knocked the two off their feet. Daisy and Violet laughed as they had witnessed Spike Balls jumping into the water out of nowhere, giggling incessantly at their two babysitters soaked forms. “Just thought I'd join in on the fun,” the Monster commented with a wide smile.

“Oh my turn!” Lobster Claws suddenly shouted. He ran toward the water before proclaiming, “Cannonball!” He then jumped in the water himself, using the lack of gravity to do a full flip before hitting the water and sending of shower of droplets on the others.

Several other Monsters joined in, diving into the water, making the four Mewmans laugh at the varying degrees of success. But Beard Deer hardly seemed impressed, watching the whole thing with a scowl, before finally shouting, “That's not how you cannon ball!”

“Oh yeah, well then why don't you try it?” Lobster Claws yelled from back at him.

Beard Deer got a smirk, as he backed up to show them a proper cannonball, but just as he jumped, he was affected by the gravity, as it made him instead do one spin in the air before face-planting directly into the water, causing the other Monsters to laugh. At this point, all the Monsters were in the river but Buff Frog, and Marco looked over at his dad, who was watching with a smile in the same spot he had left him.

“Hey dad, don't you want to swim, too?!” he yelled to him.

“Yeah, come on, boss! Live a little!” Lobster Claws shouted, Potato Baby giving an agreeing garble.

Buff Frog just shook his head, saying, “No, no. You have fun, I will sit out this time.”

“Awww, come on!” Star encouraged. “Your a frog, after all, I bet your jump would put all the others to shame!”

“Yeah, dad, show me that patented Bulgoyabov dive, like in your story,” Marco added, remembering his dad recounting the special technique his family had invented and been using for generations.

The amphibian seemed to consider this, before he stood up and started to walk away, much to everyone's surprise. “Boss?” some of the Monsters asked, while Marco just smiled to himself. The frog suddenly turned and began racing back toward the river, getting a running start before he leapt into the air. Everyone watched in awe as his muscular form rose above the very treetops and with the added lack of gravity, he seemed to go even higher than some clouds. And as he descended, he did a complicated series of spins and somersaults, before finally hitting the water, crashing into it like a torpedo. There was a gigantic wave, that sent every Monster barreling over and Marco, who had been fully aware what was about to happen, had grabbed Daisy and Violet and pulled them as far back as he could. Star followed uncertainly, but it switched to understanding as the tidal wave barreled through the unexpected Monsters, only to lose its height and momentum the further it traveled, hitting the Mewmans with only a mild, barely above their knees, current.

Buff Frog emerged from the water, grinning victoriously, as all the Monsters recovered from the unexpected hit. There was a few seconds of silence, before Lobster Claws exclaimed, “That was amazing!” Soon after this declaration all the Monsters were congratulating their boss, patting him on the back or shaking his claw and while the four Mewmans just watched and laughed. “You family is so fun, big brother!” Violet screamed and Marco smiled thoughtfully, nodding slowly.

“Yeah they are,” Marco said softly, his voice chocked with emotion. He couldn't think of a time when he had ever seen them acting so goofy or lighthearted, most of the time growing up they had seemed stressed and anxious and sometimes Marco wasn't sure if they could even stand each other. But now they looked like a real family, getting along and just enjoying each others company, and it made Marco's heart soar to see such a sight. And seeing them all so happy and carefree, made him realize something. While he had recently begun experiencing true freedom for himself, the others now seemed to have finally gotten the chance to do the same. And this only served to remind him of just how much he loved his dad and the Monsters, they all had sacrificed so much to keep him safe for all those years, and now at last they were able to be rewarded for their efforts.

Marco, after some prompting from Star, was able to snap out of his thoughts and go over to join the Monsters, Daisy and Violet following right behind. Once they met up, a series of games fast broke out, including more splash fighting, chicken fight, a game the Monsters called sharks and mermaids, and marco polo, which Marco enjoyed immensely. This went on until late into the afternoon, the sun peeking and then lowering quite a ways before anyone even took notice of how much time had passed, too invested in the fun they were all having. Marco, especially, seemed to be enjoying his time bonding with his family and girlfriend, smiling ear to ear to the point his cheeks began hurting, but he didn't care and refused to let it up for even a single second.

But he wasn't the only one obviously having the time of his life, the twins too seemed equally enthusiastic about the time spent, even little Daisy's fear all but forgotten as she played with the Monsters with equal fervor as her twin. And soon, she seemed right at home and at ease around them, giggling incessantly over every little thing. In fact, by this point you couldn't even tell that she had ever been frightened of the Monsters to begin with and this made Marco's already stretched smile widen even more.

By the time they did finally break off for lunch, they were all beyond sore and tired, but happy, as they slowly trudged to shore to get some much needed and well-deserved rest, dragging their pruny bodies out of the water with much force, some more than others.

They all stretched out in the soft grass, relaxing and catching their breath as they waited to dry off in the sun. Daisy and Violet lay side by side, both shivering slightly as Marco walked over to them with their lunches and his in hand. They both took their food gratefully and with bright eagerness over the first bit of food since breakfast, both working up quite the appetite over the last several hours. It was nothing fancy, just sandwiches that he had made before their trip but as the two starving girls each took a bite, it seemed like they had just been given fine gourmet the way they were humming in appreciation and delight.

“This is so good, Big Brother!” Daisy proclaimed, before quickly chomping at least a quarter of it off and chewing greedily.

“Yeah, it's really tasty!” Violet mumbled out, struggling to form coherent words with her mouth stuffed to the very max it could hold at one time without choking her.

“I'm glad you like it,” Marco said cheerfully, before rising up and going over to join Star, who was already half-done with her own sandwich. “Mmmm, Marco what is on this? It's amazing!” Star complimented him, taking a big bite.

“Umm, let's see,” Marco said thoughtfully, as he sat by Star's side. He counted off each ingredient used as he went, “Basically whatever I could find, like avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mustard, ketchup, chick-” Marco quickly cut himself off, his head whipping around to stare panic-stricken at Big Chicken, who's head was raised in alert. Marco nervously cleared his throat, before correcting himself and saying, “Um, you know, various things.”

This seemed to settle Big Chicken, who went back to pecking at the seeds in front of him. “Right, gotcha,” Star replied, as she held back a chuckle. She watched the boy take an eager bite of his own sandwich, hanging on his every move, before asking, “So do you wanna switch?”

Marco turned to her in surprise, his mouth still comically stuffed, as he asked, “Wha?”

Star laughed at her boyfriend's cuteness, before explaining, “You can have some of my sandwich and I can have some of yours.”

Marco swallowed, giving her a look of naive curiosity. “Why would we do that?” he asked. “I mean they're exactly the same, right.” He raked his brain trying to think of if he did anything special to any of the sandwiches, but he had been very careful to make them all the exact same way so as to not hurt anyone's feelings over being left out.

Star shrugged, her fingers shyly fiddling with the bread, picking off small crumbs and throwing it into the grass. “It's just something couples like to do. But if you don't want to I-”

“No, no, I do!” Marco quickly agreed, practically shouting into her face and waving a hand in front of him to reassure her. He hated to see Star upset and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings, especially over something as trivial as this. “I just was confused it all,” he added with a sheepish chuckled, nervously scratching his cheek.

Star smiled at him, grabbing his arm and cuddling him close to her. “It's okay, Marco. I get it,” Star told him, before planting a kiss on his cheek. “I just felt weird about it for a second is all, cause I realized how dumb it sounded.”

“Nothing you say is dumb,” Marco told her, so much honesty and certainty in his tone that Star realized that he truly believed what he said, that to him anything she said was important and that was just a hard fact of life. Which just made Star's heart melt even more and caused her to gush over her adorably sweet boyfriend. “Awww, Marco, you spoil me,” she swooned, squeezing his arm tight as she nuzzled his cheek with hers, making the both of their faces light up red.

Marco didn't say anything, just giving a little embarrassed chuckle, enjoying every second of contact with his awesome bestie as his brain turned to mush. But he was able to successfully snap back to reality as Star held her sandwich up to his lips and he eagerly took a bite, before doing the same for her. The two chewed their partner's lunch for a moment, feeling safe and secure in each other's arms. And though Marco didn't know how it was possible, he could swear that somehow Star's bite of sandwich was far better than his own, as if being in the blond's hands infused it with some sort of added flavor that only improved its overall taste. Then again, it shouldn't surprise him, everything Star touched turned to gold. She was just so special and amazing he sometimes couldn't believe he was been lucky enough to have her in his life. Since he met her, she had done nothing but brighten up his life in ways he never could have imagined. Before Star the only joy in his life was the bits of time he spent with his dad and the Monsters, everything else was just boredom and guilt and longing. Now though, his life felt like a fairytale or some beautiful dream that he prayed he never woke up from. Sure there were tough times, but they were worth it if he could stay by his Star's side.

Marco must have been staring at her funny, because she suddenly asked, “What?” The hooded teen slowly shook his head. “Just... thinking,” he said, his voice cracking slightly as he chocked on the lump in his throat.

“About what?” Star asked, raising a curious, teasing eyebrow.

“How much better my life is since I met you,” he explained and Star's eyes widened.

A bright, shy smile lit up her face and her hearts thumped a few times on her blushing cheeks. “What brought that up?” she asked.

“Just being near you, I guess. Spending time with you always makes me feel grateful that we met.”

Star smiled and leaned once again into his arm. “Yeah, me too.”

The two stayed like that for a moment or two, before they heard a shuffling behind them and they turned to see Buff Frog standing over them, looking slightly guilty. “Sorry to interrupt moment,” he began looking genuinely apologetic. “But need to talk to you two about something.”

Star and Marco shared a surprised look, before Marco spoke up, telling his dad, “Uh, sure thing, Buff Frog. What's going on?”

The amphibian sat down on a rock beside them, his gaze hardening some and causing the two's heart rate to increase mildly. He crossed his arms, his stance powerful but concerned, his yellow eyes digging into their skin, trying to pry something out of them with the look alone. The two admittedly squirmed under his intense gaze, now worried what he was about to question them on. “I know you two hiding something from me.”

The two both gasped at that, too startled to hide their guilty faces as Marco bit his lip and avoided his dad's gaze and Star just sucked in a breath. Buff Frog watched both of their reactions closely, waiting for them to speak and try to defend themselves. But neither said a word and eventually Buff Frog figured it was best to continue. “I see it in your eyes. I want to know what problem is.”

The two shared a hesitant look, neither sure what to say and a thought suddenly struck Buff Frog. The two were really close with one another, sharing a lot of time alone and away from his watchful eye, they had been dating for at least three months now, and Marco had freaked out over a photo of the two snuggling in bed together...

His eyes slowly lowered to Star's stomach, but he quickly shook these foolish thoughts away. There was no way that was what was happening, from what he had seen their relationship was sweet and innocent, he had no reason to suspect them of something like that. Still, there was something wrong and he was going to find out what. “Please tell me so that I may help you. I worry about you, Marco,” he said, his eyes begging and his son finally caught his eye, before quickly turning away the look too much for him to take.

“That's exactly why I don't want to tell you,” Marco said, rubbing a hand on his arm. “I don't want to worry you anymore than you already do.”

Buff Frog let out a sigh. “I know, my son, but keeping hidden from me, make me worry just as much.”

Star and Marco shared a look, trying to silently decide on their next course of action. One of the big reasons the two had been opposed to it was out of fear that maybe if Buff Frog was to know the danger surrounding Star he might decide to move Marco back in with him until the threat passed. And even though this seemed unlikely, the chance was still there and it was enough to chill them to the bone, neither wanting to imagine a life without their chosen match by their side. And so, as brown and blue met, a single thought ran through both of their minds, What do we tell him?

Meanwhile, Violet was quickly growing bored just laying there. She had already finished her lunch and she wanted to go back to doing stuff, particularly with the Monsters. She looked over to see Star and Marco in some kind of conversation with Buff Frog and then to where the rest of the Monsters were resting. She rose to her feet, which caught her twin's attention. “Where are you going?” Daisy asked curiously.

“To talk to the Monsters, want to come.” Violet looked ecstatic, a bright grin on her face as she waited for her sister's answer.

Daisy studied the group of Monsters for a few moments, trying to decide. Sure they hadn't done anything bad to her at this point but she still felt unsure about them, all the stories she had overheard from the adults making her fearful. Both her and Violet had eavesdropped on several conversations regarding the Monsters and, while her sister had only seemed to grow more and more interested, Daisy was scared stiff. The way the grownups talked about the Monsters killing people and burning down entire villages, had left her with nightmares for weeks. Her mother had done her best to comfort her, (not before reprimanding them both for listening in where they shouldn't have, of course) telling Daisy that no Monster could get to them from where they were and that she was safe, but her overactive imagination said otherwise. And having a sister who was obsessed with them didn't help much either. Violet would mercilessly tease her and tell her scary stories about the Monsters eating children whole or making them into stew, not realizing just how much it was messing her sister up.

But the worst of all of it was the day that her Trait had worked against her, as when Violet was telling another one of her particularly nasty stories to an unwilling Daisy, their cheek marks had activated, glowing white, and the Monster from Violet's description had come to life and appeared in their room. It was a large Monster made of nothing but fur and glowing red eyes. According to Violet it would tickle its victims for hours before eating them. The girl screamed and hid behind her sister, her whole body shaking, as she begged the Monster to leave her alone. Until finally, Violet told her that the Monster was gone and she opened her eyes to see it had disappeared, her twin apparently making it stop after she realized how much it was troubling her sister.

A moment later, the door had busted open and as several guards came in to check on the two young monarchs, hearing the girl's scream, Daisy, had simply jumped up, pushing past the guards, and ran down the hallways without a word, tears of embarrassment and fear streaming down her face. After that, Violet didn't tease her anymore about the Monsters and the guards were extremely careful to watch what they said around the young, impressionable royal.

But then, things had changed all of a sudden, as the adults began saying that the Monsters were good now and that they were no longer hurting anyone anymore. This had confused Daisy, sending her mind into a whirlwind of questions and doubt that left her paralyzed with uncertainty. All her life she had been told that Monsters were bad and that you should stay away from them and avoid them at all costs, but now she was just supposed to forget all of that and trust them. She didn't know what to do, her mind at a crossroads, as she struggled through her paranoid filled upbringing and the new-found evidence that there was no longer anything to fear.

Finally she shook her head, her brain still feeling heavy with doubt and uncertainty, as she said, “No, I'm okay.”

Violet scoffed, clearly annoyed with the response, as she rolled her eyes. “Baby,” she said tauntingly and this ignited a fire in little Daisy's chest.

“I am not a baby!” Daisy huffily shouted, stomping a foot down in anger. She couldn't believe her sister was accusing her of something like that, especially since she was only like this cause of her. She was so filled with rage and consumed by her venomous thoughts, that she didn't even hear the crack beneath her feet.

“Yes you are,” Violet mocked back, pointing an accusing finger at her twin. “Your too afraid to even go near the Monsters, even though mom and Big Brother told us they are safe.”

“But what about all those stories we used to hear, remember that Violet?” Daisy argued. “The adults said that Monsters were scary and dangerous.”

Violet shrugged. “Well we've been around them all day and they haven't acted scary or dangerous,” the creepy girl pointed out and Daisy's comeback froze on her tongue. She didn't know what to say to that, her twin was right after all, the Monsters actually seemed kind and gentle and Marco did seem to trust them...

“Face it, Daisy,” Violet continued, speaking as if she was stating a fact. “Your only afraid of them cause your a baby.”

Daisy lost her train of thought, as anger burst through her chest again and she screamed out in a fiery roar, “I. am. NOT!” She stomped her foot down even harder this time, only this time the cracking that followed was even louder than last time and the girl looked down to see the ground beneath her had fractured, creating a small uneven circle around her form. Before either girl could say anything, the ground beneath Daisy sprang up from the ground, a chunk of Mewni raising up into the sky, carrying the screaming Mewman child with it.

The ear-splitting screech gained everyone's attention, Buff Frog and the teens conversation forgotten as they swerved around to see Daisy being carried away by the ground beneath her, the young one clinging to the grass in fear. “Daisy!” Star and Marco shouted at the same time, terror and alarm written all over their stunned faces. The two began running over to where Violet stood numbly, watching her sister helplessly floating away, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “Marco get Violet!” Star shouted, afraid that her other cousin might float away if she wasn't protected. Marco quickly scooped the girl up and held her close to his chest, as he watched his girlfriend shout at the top of her lungs, “Raspberry Ribbon Lasso!” A tangle of sparkling red rope shout out of her wand, wrapping around the chunk of rock and holding it in place.

The Monsters quickly circled around the Mewmans, feeling helpless as they watched Star's rescue attempt, wanting to do something to help. “Help, someone help me!” Daisy cried, her eyes sealed shut and her whole body shaking in fear, as tears streamed down her face

“Hold on, Daisy, I got you!” Star tried to reassure her, hoping the quiver in her voice didn't end up making the girl even more afraid. Boo Fly, as well, did his part, as he quickly flew up to the girl and snuggled into her side, trying to comfort her however he could. “Don't you worry Mizzz Daizzy. Zztar will have you down in no time,” the fly Monster said, running a paw through her cream-colored hair but the girl didn't respond, too petrified to speak.

But Star was at a loss of what to do next, the blond royal quickly racking her brain for a way to get the girl down without hurting her. But suddenly Buff Frog appeared behind her out of nowhere, saying in a deadly calm voice, “Keep her still, I get her down.”

Before the girl could respond, Buff Frog jumped high into the air, sailing over everyone's heads as he expertly landed on the floating rock, Star somehow barely feeling any extra weight from it, much to her incredulousness. Buff Frog let out a long, soothing shush, putting both claws gently on her shoulders Boo Fly flying away from the girl to let his leader handle the situation. “Shhhh, is alright, little one. You be okay.” The girl flinched, clearly recognizing his voice, her body tensing up, but the amphibian moved slowly, as he gently pulled her up, so she was now sitting on her knees. Her hands instinctively shot out and grabbed onto his beefy arms, taking comfort in his strength, paranoid she would fall without something to cling to. He continued his soft cooing, as he lifted her up and brought her into his arms. The girl instantly threw her arms around his neck, holding him in a tight hug as she buried her face into his shoulder with a small whimper. “Shhh, is alright. You safe now,” Buff Frog said, running a claw through her hair to calm her. He looked down, ignoring the disbelieving looks from his minions as he quickly sized up the distance. He sucked in a breath, this was going to be the tricky part, he would have to jump in order to get down, but that would obviously panic the poor child even more, her already rapid heartbeat causing him to ache.

“Come on dad, you got this,” Marco whispered from the ground, his grip on Violet tightening some, while the creepy girl looked petrified with fear for her sister. Star was just doing all she could to keep the rock from floating any further away, fighting against the incredibly strong pull of gravity the entire time, her arms beginning to ache with the effort. But she felt a small shift in the magical lasso and her eyes widened in horror as she saw that the laws of nature had found a new way to get around her. The floating ground was beginning to break apart into smaller chunks and she watched as a large crack formed, cutting its way through the rock, following along the path her lasso was.

“Buff Frog!” Star screamed in warning.

But the Monster leader didn't have time to react as the rock suddenly snapped in half and continued its trek toward space, causing Buff Frog and Daisy to fall, now plummeting to the ground, the frog in no position to land safely, his body twisting this way and that as he free fell. Violet screamed in fear for her sister's life and Marco shouted in pure terror, “No!”

Star thought fast though, holding her wand out and casting loudly, “Mystic Safety Net!” A large net formed, held in the air by several sparkly butterflies, who pulled the net as taunt as it would go, easily catching the girl and frog in the thick tangle of ropes. They lowered the two slowly and carefully to the ground, before setting them and the net onto the ground. Marco let out a loud breath of relief, his first since witnessing his dad falling to his death.

Buff Frog sat up, before looking down at the girl clinging to his chest in fear, and saying softly, “You can let go, little one. We safe now.” Daisy finally opened her eyes, looking around to see that they were on the ground once more and she released the frog from her death grip, allowing him to pick her up and set her back on her feet.

Violet seeing this, jumped out of Marco's arms and ran up to her still trembling sister, throwing her arms around her in a tight, affectionate hug. The peach-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise, her arms twitching at her side as if unsure if she should hug her sister back or not. But as she heard a sob escape her sister's throat, she did just that, giving her twin a small squeeze. Star walked over and joined in on the hug, thankful her two cousins were safe.

Buff Frog watched the three as he stood, caught off guard as a small form bumped into his chest and a warm body trapped him in its own tender embrace. He looked down to see his son hugging him close, Marco's eyes scrunched closed and the residual look of fear still clearly on his face. “I thought I was gonna lose you,” the boy in red chocked out, his voice cracking as a single tear ran down his face.

“There, there,” Buff Frog soothed, giving his beloved son a loving pat on the back. “I okay, thanks to Star.”

Both Marco and Buff Frog turned to the blond teen, who pulled away from the twins to match their gaze, a smile on her face. “Well I couldn't just sit there and do nothing,” she said with a modest shrug of her shoulders.

“Buff Frog!” a sudden outburst, drew everyone's attention to the other Monsters, who all ran over and tackled their leader to the ground. “We're so sorry we couldn't help you!” Bearicorn bawled, tears streaming down his face. “Please don't fire us and replace us with better Monsters!” the bear continued.

Buff Frog smiled at his companions as he rose to his feet, telling them all in an authoritative but gentle voice, “Is alright, my friends. Would never replace you. You best Monsters I know.”

Potato Baby made a garbled questioning noise, which the amphibian was able to translate, nodding his head. “Da, besides, can't very well replace you. Think Marco would miss you too much.”

The Monsters all turned to the teen, who smiled at them all. “Yep, he's right, I would,” he said. “You're my family after all.” They all let out a simultaneous awww, some even growing teary eyed.

The next thing Marco knew he was being hugged from all angles by the many members of his Monster family who were all cooing or crying out their fondness for the boy. Star laughed seeing her boyfriend looking lost and dazed as he was being virtually squeezed to death by the Monsters, but making no efforts to stop them, though that could have been due to his inability to breathe at the moment. But her attention was drawn back to her spells, who were all staring at her eagerly, as one of the butterflies asked, “So is there anything else we can do for, princess?”

Even my spells have to feel the need to call me by my title, she thought to herself, while saying aloud, “No that will be all, thank you.”

They all bowed formally, another saying, “No thank you, Your Highness. It is an honor to be able to help out a Butterfly.” Then as suddenly as they had come, they vanished into thin air, leaving behind a few sparkles that drifted slowly to the ground. I'll have to remember to call on them more often, she thought to herself. After I have a talk with them about calling me by my name.

Daisy and Violet, meanwhile, were still stuck in their own hug, which was quickly becoming awkward, as the former tried to pull away but found her sibling refusing to break her hold. “Uhh, Violet, you can let go now,” the peach-haired girl said.

“I'm sorry,” the girl muttered, starling her twin.

“What?” she asked.

“I'm sorry I called you a baby,” Violet sniffed. She knew her and her sister argued a lot, but she never imagined that it would nearly lead to such a horrible outcome. She had nearly lost her twin, her other half, all because she had been dumb and stupid and had to tease her over nothing. “I shouldn't have said those things, because of me you almost-”

“No, you were right,” Daisy said, much to her sister's surprise.

“I was?” Violet asked in clear confusion.

The cutesy girl nodded. “I was afraid of the Monsters and I was being a baby about it. I was just so sure that they were bad that I didn't give them a chance.”

Violet finally let go and pulled out of the hug, staring her sister straight in the eyes. “Soooo, does this mean your not mad at me?” she asked.

“No, I guess not,” Daisy said, for some reason finding it hard to stay mad at her twin. Sure they fought a lot, but deep down she loved her twin and couldn't imagine being away from her. They needed each other in some strange way.

The two shared a short smile, before Daisy turned to Star and said, “Thank you, Star, for helping rescue me.”

Star patted her young cousin lightly on the head saying, “I'm just glad your safe. But you know, I'm not the only one you should be thanking.” The blond's eyes jumped to Buff Frog then back to her cousin, knowingly. Daisy nodded and slowly approached the frog Monster, who was watching his son with a grin.

When the girl reached him she gave him a small tug on his shirt to draw his attention and as the frog looked down at her, she began scraping a foot against the ground shyly, struggling to meet his eye. “Um, uh,” the girl muttered, a blush beginning to stain her cheeks. “Th-Thank you, for saving me, Mr. Buff Frog.”

The frog smiled and bent down so he was level with the child. “Please, just Buff Frog is fine. And you very welcome, little one.”

Daisy got a pouting look on her face, her cheeks puffing up cutely, as she whined, “Stop calling me 'little one'. My name is Daisy so call me that, okay?”

Buff Frog paused a look of surprise and confusion on his face, before he laughed out loud, a long hearty chuckle that drew everyone's attention onto him and left them all questioning what was so funny. He gently drew the girl in for hug, giving her a soft pat on the back. “Of course. Forgive me,” he said, unable to keep the smile off of his face. Children really were priceless sometimes. Although he loved Marco immensely and wouldn't change a thing about his precious son, he admitted a part of him missed taking care of a young kid, his time raising the young Marco challenging but fulfilling. Now that Marco was older and living with Star, a part of him missed how things used to be (the happy moments at least, he would give anything to go back and make it so that Marco never had to grow up under the lizard's iron rule) he had loved being a parent and looking after and raising his son were some of the greatest moments of his life, he just hadn't realized how greatly he was missing that until now.

“Um, Buff Frog, your kinda crushing me,” Daisy's muffled voice managed to snap the frog out of his thoughts, as he pulled the girl away from his chest finally and stood back up to his full height. “My apologies. Bow then after scary ordeal, would you and sister like snack,” he took the girl's hand, who just stared up at him with curious, eager eyes.

“Snack? But mommy didn't let us bring any candy,” Daisy said.

“Ahh yes, but I know where stash of candy bars is hidden. I put it there when I your age,” Buff Frog said with a wink.

The girl giggled and allowed him to lead her off in the direction of the hidden treat, the girl calling for her sister to come with, who wasted no time in joining them. Once Buff Frog had unearthed the treasure trove of candy and the two girls were happily chocking down candy bars as they leaned against the Monster's sides, Marco, who had finally escaped from the Monster's tight, clingy grasp, approached his father, saying sheepishly, “Um, hey, dad about what we talked about earlier-”

But Buff Frog quickly cut him off, shaking his head and declaring, “You don't have to tell me.”

“R-Really?” Marco said in surprise.

“Da, I realize now I overreact. You not little kid anymore. You old enough to take care of self. Sometimes I just have trouble remembering that. Whatever problem you having, I know you and Star can handle, otherwise you tell me.”

Marco nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Well I'm glad you feel that way, but...” Marco paused, looking over at Star for permission, who gave a small nod. “I-I don't think it's right to keep something like this hidden from you any longer. Have you... ever heard of a Monster named Rasticore?”

Buff Frog seemed surprised by this, but shook his head. “No, I haven't.”

“Well... he's this assassin guy, who kinda... attacked me and Star at the Orphan's Ball,” Marco said with a grimace.

The amphibian's eyes widened as he and all the other Monster exclaimed, “What?!”

Marco quickly waved his arms to try and calm them down. “No, no, we're both fine. It's okay.”

“Wait?! I thought you said that guy was a tax collector?” Lobster Claws asked in confusion.

“And you believed him?” Beard Deer scoffed in anger.

“Well, yeah, they can be very scary you know,” the crustacean argued, making several of the Monsters face-palm.

“Your an idiot,” Bearicorn muttered.

“But anyways,” Marco continued, after the interruption. “He got away and the King and Queen have been searching really hard to find him. But because it happened at the castle, we're having to keep it secret from everyone.”

Buff Frog nodded his head thoughtfully, his eyebrows furrowed. “That is for best, people would blame all Monsters if know the truth,” the amphibian agreed.

“That's what we were thinking,” Star said, joining in on the conversation as she moved to her boyfriend's side. “The only problem is, we're having a real tough time finding him, because we have no way to track him.”

Buff Frog was silent for a moment, clearly contemplating and both Star and Marco held their breath, holding each other's hands tight. Finally, after an agonizingly long time, the frog Monster responded, “I will ask around, see what I can find.”

The couple's mouths dropped open in shock at that, sharing a quick look, before turning back to the frog. “Th-That's it,” Marco managed to say.

“Da,” Buff Frog said, giving them a puzzled expression.

“Your not... worried?” Marco asked hesitantly, giving his dad a grimace of concern.

“Of course I worried. Is my job as father to worry over you,” Buff Frog said. “But... like I said before, I trust you to take care of self. And you have Star, you could be no safer with me than her.”

Star blushed at that, but she added softly, “Well that's not entirely true. He's after me, not Marco, so it's my fault that he...” Star's voice trailed off, the hurt in her tone as clear as day.

Buff Frog closed his eyes, his arms crossed in thought, but when they opened again he said, “All the more reason for you two to stay together.”

“Huh?” Star and Marco asked simultaneously. That was not the answer they were expecting.

“You two belong together,” the frog explained. “You need each other, especially in times of trouble and doubt. I meant what said earlier, you can handle problem as long as you have each other. And if you do need my help, then I be there.”

Marco gave his dad a loving, grateful smile, his voice chocked up, as he said, “Thanks, dad.” He couldn't believe he had ever doubted his dad enough to even think that he would separate him and Star. His dad loved him and he knew exactly how much Star meant to him, how crucial it was to keep her in his life. He had let his paranoia blind him from the truth that was right in front of him.

“You know,” Star spoke up, her voice light as she wrapped an arm around her bestie's shoulders. “Last time Rasticore showed up, apparently Marco managed to hold him off entirely on his own.”

Buff Frog and the other Monsters stared at their youngest in equal mixes of disbelief and pride and Marco felt his face flushing wildly. “W-Well, that's not entirely true,” Marco stuttered, tapping his fingers together shyly. “Kelly was there a-and Tom and Pony showed up and-”

“Come on, Marco, don't be so modest,” Star cooed, holding the boy close to her in a loving embrace. “Kelly told me the whole story and she said you gave that lizard a run for his money.”

“Well then, in that case, it seems I have nothing to worry about,” Buff Frog said, giving his son a delighted smile, which caused Marco to grin.

There was a sniff off to the side and everyone turned to see Beard Deer with tears running down his face. “Why are you crying?” Man Arm asked, giving the Monster a funny look.

“This is the proudest moment of my life,” Beard Deer whispered, before shouting, “My baby is growing up!”

“He'zz not even your baby,” Boo Fly pointed out and the deer Monster quickly rumbled, “Shut up, just let me have this!” wiping the tears out of his eyes with his claws.

Daisy and Violet laughed at the sight of the full-grown, tough-looking Monster in tears and even Star and Marco couldn't help but share a smile.

Buff Frog stood, putting his hands on the two's shoulders, staring down at them with a warm demeanor. “Now then... I believe sun will set soon. Why don't you two go spend last hours of day together?”

Star and Marco shared a look, the temptation clearly there for the both of them. “Are you sure?” Star asked, not wanting to agree if Buff Frog wasn't 100% okay with it.

He nodded, “Da.”

“But, I mean, we were supposed to spend the day together, we don't want to hurt your feelings,” Marco said, rubbing a hand up and down his arm.

“And you spent plenty of time with me,” Buff Frog said, giving his son's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “But I know you must be desperate for some time alone.”

Star and Marco both nodded, eagerly. “We are,” Star admitted with a deep longing.

“Then go enjoy selves. I watch girls until you get back.”

Star and Marco didn't have to be told again, as they both ran off together, hands still entwined and wide smiles spread across their faces. Buff Frog watched them go, before going back over to sit with the girls, hoping the couple had a good time. Daisy and Violet looked up at the frog with curiosity. “Where are Big Brother and Star going?” Daisy asked.

“To spend time alone,” Buff Frog told them simply.

“Well why can't they spend time alone with us,” Violet asked, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.

“No, Violet they're going to kiss and stuff,” Daisy explained to her sister and Violet got a mischievous grin on her face.

“We should follow them and record the whole thing,” the creepy twin said, leaning closer to her sister.

“Yeah,” Daisy agreed, her face reflecting her sister's perfectly.

But a tutting from Buff Frog drew their attention. “Will do no such thing,” the frog said firmly. But his voice softened as he said, “How about we play game instead? Know many Monster games my father teach me.”

The two girls shared an enthusiastic grin, before pumping their fists in the air and shouting, “Yeah! Playtime with Uncle Buff Frog!”

This caught the Monster off-guard, but he smiled and chuckled to himself at the nickname, inwardly his heart soaring with joy.

…

“Okay, so wait, which Aureole sign are you?” Marco asked.

“I told you a pig-goat,” Star said once again, kicking her feet out over the ledge.

“Really?” Marco said cocking his head to the side. “That's just so strange.”

“Why is it strange?” Star asked in confusion.

“Well because, your super pretty and cool and everything and those pig-goats are... super creepy.” Marco shuddered against his will.

Star let out a snort. “Seriously? Your afraid of pig-goats.”

“Well, yeah. I woke up with one in my room a while back and it was just staring at me with these big beady eyes. I thought it was going to eat me.”

Now the blond royal full-on laughed at her adorable boyfriend, the hooded teen quickly joining in. Could he get anymore precious? Star thought as she leaned her head against his shoulder and he reciprocated the embrace, laying his head against hers, causing the two to sigh contently.

The two sat on the ledge above the large clearing below, the roar of the rushing waterfall a short distance away, though it didn't distract the two from their talk at all (which they had been at for hours straight now). They watched the Monster's below as they waited for the sun to be in proper setting position. They smiled as they saw Buff Frog rocking a now sleeping Daisy in his arms, the child exhausted from all of the doings of the day. Her twin was held in the safe and comfortable grasp of Bearicorn who looked nervous and hesitant holding the young one, as if afraid she might break, but with Buff Frog's coaching he began to relax some. The other Monsters looked jealous though that Bearicorn had been chosen shooting him death glares behind his back.

“So then, Diaz, which sign are you?” Star asked picking the conversation back up after a few seconds of silence from the two.

“I'm a Narwhal,” Marco said proudly, puffing his chest out a bit.

“What, no way?!” Now it was Star's turn to be surprised.

“Yeah, I definitely am, dad told me so,” Marco confirmed.

“Wow, how incredible is that!” Star declared, a bright beam on her face as she finally sat up, squeezing her cheeks in delight, her eyes shimmering. “My boyfriend's birthday sign is the same as my favorite spell!” she let out a loving sigh as she kissed his cheek, whispering gleefully, “Could you be anymore perfect?”

“Well I am dating the most amazing girl in the universe, so that is gonna be hard to top,” Marco said with one of those cute, signature smiles that just made Star melt.

“Ohhh you,” she cooed, pulling him closer so he was practically sitting on her lap as she led him in a breathless kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes just enjoying the moment, trying to get his sluggish mind to memorize every second of the wonderful act. Star smiled into the kiss as she felt his lips moving against hers in longing and she happily complied, deepening the kiss until the two were forced to pull away gasping for air, their cheek marks losing their glow as they separated.

“Wow, that was one of our best ones,” Star panted, her eyes shimmering from the magical experience.

Marco's eyes were half-lidded, the goofiest look on his face as he simply nodded and muttered, “Uh huh.” Star couldn't help but admire how precious her Marco was, this wasn't the first time one of her kisses had left him unable to speak but that didn't make it any less adorable. Suddenly a glow from the distance grabbed her attention as she swerved to see the sun had finally reached its peak on the horizon, luckily still visible over the treetops from this height. “Oh Marco it's starting,” Star gasped, grabbing him tightly by the arm.

Marco finally snapped out of his daze, his head clearing of the goo that was once functioning brain cells as he stared out at the enchanting sunset, the sky looking like something out of a painting, a picturesque setting to the end of another glorious day on Mewni. His heart skipped a beat at the beautiful sight, his mouth gaped open in awe and from next to him, Star looked the same. He had missed this so much, watching the sunset with his beautiful bestie and a part of him ached as he thought about all the sunsets he had missed while busy with the whole Commission thing.

He forced his eyes away from the captivating glow and onto the only sight in the dimensions that was more breathtaking than the setting sun, Star. “Hey um, Star,” he said slowly and the girl finally caught his eye, her blue eyes sparkling brighter than a thousand sunsets.

“Yeah, Marco,” Star said, a light, cute smile on her face as she stared at him expectantly.

“I was just gonna say, that I kinda missed this,” the hooded teen replied, before looking quickly away to hide his blush.

Star nodded. “Yeah me too,” the blond breathed, her voice nearly a sigh.

“And, also, I know we've been busy with stuff lately and since our first meeting is in a couple of days, it's probably only to get worse,” Marco continued, rubbing the back of his neck. “But watching the sunset with you is one of my favorite things in the world and... I don't want to lose that.”

Star gave his hand a gentle squeeze, her blue orbs dancing in the low light and his brown quickly followed suit. “I don't either,” she admitted, her heart cheek marks thumping once.

“Then let's make a promise,” Marco said excitedly, thrilled he wasn't going to lose one of his favorite activities with Star. “That no matter what, we meet up every day to watch the sunset together.”

Star smiled and nodded, but was caught off-guard as Marco held out a pinkie. “What are you doing?” she asked sweetly, an eyebrow slowly raising.

The boy gave her a naive look, “The twins told me this is what you do when you make a promise. Why did I do it wrong?”

Star shook her head. “No there a lot of ways to make a promise really. You can shake hands, hold each others pinkies, some people even spit on their hands,” Star explained.

Marco looked grossed out by the last one, saying, “Ugh, why would someone do that?”

“Don't know,” Star said with a shrug, she agreed it was disgusting. A coy smile spread across her face as she leaned closer to her boyfriend, till there noses were nearly touching. “But I know just the thing we should do to seal our promise.”

Marco's breath hitched at the look in Star's eye. “Wh-What?!” the hooded teen stuttered, wondering what possible thing his girlfriend could have in mind.

“This,” she said, leaning closer till there lips were slightly touching, then blew right into his mouth, making the boy cough as she laughed.

“Star,” he gasped out.

The girl just giggled and pulled him into a tight hug. “I'm just kidding, Marco. Obviously hugs are the way to go for us,” she said, laying his head against her chest.

Marco just held her back, listening to the gentle beating of her heart as he stared out at the sunset, already dreaming of the ones to come.

#Star vs #Star vs AU #My Writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #Starco #Sorry for the delays #Holidays wiped me out

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