#starcoween

[thdorkmagnet]

Little Starco Part 1

Happy Halloween Everyone!! Today I bring you all something new! This AU is based off of my favorite game in the world right now “Little Nightmares.” It is a super awesome horror game that I have been obsessed with for months and so I figured the best way to deal with my love of the franchise was to do what I always do: write Starco fanfiction! So yes this is all based off the video game but I did my best to make it understandable without having played the game. It was a challenge the game is full of mystery and a tense atmosphere, while also putting in some of my typical fluff so trying to match the style was not easy. Still I hope I succeeded and I hope you all enjoy!

Also as a fair warning, this is a horror game and while I don't have anything too bad in here I did push the T rating quite a bit for this one. So anyone who is easily frightened you've been warned. Please enjoy and have a great and spooky Halloween!

This will be a two-parter btw.

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. Little Nightmares belongs to Bandai Namco. All rights go to the respective owners.

Star awoke with a start, letting out a panicked gasp as she sat up quickly in fright. She took a few deep breaths as the initial fear slowly began to fade, leaving only the tense anxiety she normally carried with her. The only sound she could hear was the steady dripping of a nearby leak and the quiet creaking of the ship as it gently swayed back and forth. For as far back as Star could remember she had been having the same nightmare over and over again, every single night, being engulfed in a suppressing darkness that slowly faded to reveal a woman in a white mask. She would slowly turn around to face Star, but just before their eyes could meet, she would wake up. She didn't know what it meant (but then what else was new) but she had a feeling it had something to do with her past.

Not that she could remember it.

As bad as the nightmares were though, she wasn't sure if being awake was any better, she was still trapped in a nightmare whether she was asleep or awake. But at least when she was awake she could run from her threats.

Star pulled her yellow raincoat a little tighter around her, trying to fight off the sudden chill she felt creeping up her spine and got a quick look at her surroundings. She had fallen asleep in a vent, finding that one of the safest places to rest in, and she usually slept in one whenever she got a chance, even if they weren't the most comfortable sleeping spot. She took a moment to breathe in the musty air and let the motion of the ship soothe her, as she once again allowed her mind to wander as it often did in the quieter moments aboard the Maw.

The Maw, the mysterious ship full of monsters and danger and death. She didn't know what purpose it existed or how she had ended up here, all she knew was that she had been a stowaway on board the ship for a very long time. Maybe she had always been on the Maw, maybe there was no life outside of it. Star had no knowledge of the outside world or even if there even was one, but to be honest she didn't really care. All she cared about was staying alive.

Star decided she had rested long enough (knowing she needed to find some food before the hunger pains started in), slowly starting to crawl her way through the vent.

After a couple of seconds, the dim lighting faded, the small girl now encompassed in inky blackness and Star reached into the pocket of her coat, pulling out her sole possession (excluding her raincoat of course): a small, thin lighter. She flicked the lighter open and there was a quick spark before a tiny flame appeared, helping light the tight space around her and bring some warmth back into Star's shivering form. Star couldn't help but smile as she stared down into the flickering glow, relishing the feeling the small source of light brought her. Light was a rarity on board the Maw and she had learned to appreciate whatever she was given.

She nearly jumped as she heard a soft guttural clicking noise echoing farther down the tunnel, but she grinned as she recognized the weird noise as nonhostile. It was one of the many small creatures called Nomes that were known to be found wandering all over the ship. Just like everything else on the Maw, the Nomes origin and purpose was a mystery, but they were also the only thing on this horrible ship that was even remotely enjoyable, Star finding the small creatures adorable and she would often go out of her way to find them and give each one a tight hug... once she managed to chase them down, that is, all of them running away from her in the beginning the second she got close.

But, unfortunately, Star couldn't spot the Nome in the dark tunnel and so she instead reluctantly pressed forward, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead. Eventually, she found a ladder and she quickly flicked off her lighter before climbing up. When she reached the top she immediately noticed a series of hooks passing over her head, being pushed forward by a conveyor belt. A few of them even carried large objects wrapped in cloth and knotted closed with coarse rope and Star tried to ignore the oddly human size and shape they had, choosing to instead focus on finding a way up to the hooks. She looked around for a high enough spot where she could reach one and lucky for her she found a pile of the wrapped packages tall enough and after climbing up she was able to easily grab onto one of the empty hooks and sail away to another part of the ship.

She soon found herself dangling over a large gap in between areas, the long drop into the darkness below causing Star to cling on tight. Long, thick chains hung all around, each rung twice the size of her small body and she could hear them shaking and jangling from the constant motion of the ship. It felt like a lifetime before she finally bridged the gap, now hovering over a huge pile of wrapped packages, and she reluctantly let go, letting them break her fall. She held back a shudder as the bags shifted slightly under her weight.

She had heard rumors of what happened to the kids kept prison on the ship but she wasn't sure she was quite ready to confirm that theory. So instead she rose and began climbing down the massive pile, trying to ignore the squish underneath her bare feet and stench of blood that caused bile to rise up her throat.

Once she was on solid ground again Star took in a deep, shaky breath and ran as far away from the bags as possible. But she hadn't gotten very far when Star was seized with an unbearable hunger, the blonde doubling over in pain. She groaned, clutching her stomach tightly as the emptiness in her stomach increased with every passing second. These happened to her every so often, one minute she would be fine, the next it felt like her stomach was trying to eat itself and it was all Star could do to keep going until she found herself some food.

She stood and began shuffling forward on shaky legs but a couple steps later she was down again as her stomach let out a troubling growl. It took some more effort but Star was able to somehow keep going, trudging slowly ahead, her eyes on the constant search for food. She made it into the next room when her stomach growled again and this time lacked the strength to continue standing, falling hard to her knees as she took deep breaths. She looked up through fading vision and spotted the single greatest thing she thought she had ever seen: a loaf of bread.

Star's stomach released another terrible growl at the sight of food and the blonde gathered up every bit of strength she had left as she began crawling toward the bread, her hand outstretched as she reached for her saving grace. Another sharp pang in her stomach zapped the last of her strength, leaving Star to numbly reach forward in a last desperate attempt to get ahold of the loaf, her fingers just an inch too short. The girl felt hopelessness consume her as her vision slowly faded to black, her one chance of survival just barely out of reach and she nearly sobbed at the cruel irony.

Just when Star was about to give up and accept her fate, she saw a hand reach down out of nowhere and push the bread closer to her. Star snatched the food up without a second thought and began greedily tearing chunks of it off with her teeth, swallowing after only a few bites. She could feel a pair of eyes watching her, but she was too busy eating to care, not daring to stop. The emptiness and pain in her stomach subsided as Star finished devouring the loaf of bread.

Once she was done, Star took a few deep breaths letting her stomach settle, blinking as her vision cleared. After that she stared up at her savior, taking in the appearance of a young boy. He looked to be about her age (however old that was) with short, oily brown hair, brown eyes and a tiny little mole on his left cheek. She recognized him as one of the children kept prisoner on the Maw, if the tattered and faded blue pajamas were any indication. And if that wasn't enough proof then the rusted shackle hanging from his dirty leg confirmed her suspicions. Despite this though, unlike the dull, lifeless orbs the other children typically had this boy's eyes gleamed with joy and wonder and a curious smile hung on his lips, as if the horrors of the world and his situation had yet to reach his fragile young mind.

Star felt her cheeks blush as he continued to stare down at her, suddenly anxious for reasons she didn't quite understand. She looked down at her feet shyly, rubbing a hand up and down her coat sleeve as she muttered out quietly, "Uh, thanks... for that."

"No problem," the boy said pleasantly, before offering her a hand up. Star hesitated before accepting the help, allowing the boy to haul her to her feet. "I'm Marco by the way," the boy said pointing to himself.

"Star," the blonde replied.

"That's a really pretty name," Marco commented before the girl blushed vividly

"So what are you doing on board the Maw?" Marco asked. "I mean, you're definitely not a prisoner, " He added, gesturing down to the bright yellow raincoat.

"No idea," Star admitted. “I just woke up here one day and that's all I remember."

“You don't have any memories?" Marco asked and Star nodded.

"Yeah," Star mumbled. "So what about you? I'm guessing you're a runaway, considering the outfit," Star commented.

The boy cringed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as he said, "Yeah, uh, I got sent here to the kitchen a couple of days ago, but I managed to sneak away before... y'know."

Both kids shuddered, knowing full well what fate awaited those who fell victim to the Monsters' gluttony.

"That's terrible," Star said sympathetically, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder. "I'm so sorry that happened, Marco."

"I-Its okay," the boy stuttered, his eyes suddenly filled with pain and Star found herself longing to see his innocent smile again.

"How have you survived this long on your own?" Star asked, quite impressed with the boy.

Marco shrugged. "I've just been sneaking some food out here and there when the chefs aren't looking," the boy said modestly.

Star's eyes widened as realization dawned on her, giving his an apologetic look as she gasped out, "Oh my gosh, did I eat the last of your food? I'm so, so sorry!"

"No, no it's okay," Marco reassured her. "You looked like you needed it more." He smiled at her and suddenly Star's cold body flooded with a peculiar warmth. But she didn't have time to question it as Marco suddenly added, "Besides I know a place where we can get a lot more food than that."

"Where?" Star asked curiously.

"Come on, I'll show you," the boy replied before turning and running off somewhere. Star hesitated for only a second before chasing after the boy, hopeful that she could have a full belly for once.

...

As the two got closer to wherever the boy was leading them, Star began to pick up on the metallic swing of a knife from another room as no doubt a large butcher knife was getting some use. She held back the shiver that jumped up her spine, trying not to focus on the concerning sounds down the hallway. Instead, she concentrated on where she was being led and more importantly the boy who was leading her there. He had a calm smile on his face, despite the obvious danger they were in and Star was almost unsure what to think of that. Or Marco in general.

She hadn't been around kids her age in a long time but the ones she did usually weren't this upbeat. Most were quiet, reserved, and had more or less given up. They certainly didn't smile, she was lucky to see them even raise their head in her direction. So far, Star seemed to be the only one on this ship who cared at all about trying to escape their situation.

Until Marco. Star had never met anyone like him before, he was the closest thing she had come across to a companion in well… forever honestly. Marco's charming naivety was hard to resist and the blonde couldn't help but feel drawn to her companion, wanting to know more about him.

Marco suddenly stopped in his tracks and Star ran into his back by accident, causing him to slightly stumble. Once he had recovered, he turned to her and put a finger to his lips, before pointing in the direction of a towering doorway, the sound of something being violently sliced clearly coming from that direction. Star felt a shiver run up her raincoat but nodded in understanding. The two then began to tiptoe slowly closer to that area, Star feeling her heart rate beginning to spike as they did.

Finally, the two seemed to have reached their destination: a large door. The boy grinned over to her to show that they had reached the right place and pointed over to the door for extra emphasis, mouthing the words, "In here."

Star smiled from beneath her hood and the two quickly started to push on the door with all their little might. But for some reason the door didn't budge, staying sealed shut and the two grunted as they strained against the wooden frame. But the effort proved pointless and the two quickly gave up the struggle, letting out deep (but quiet) sighs of despair. Star leaned heavily against the door when Marco suddenly whispered into her ear, "Let me give you a boost up and you can try the handle."

The blonde didn't argue with that, standing up straight as she watched Marco cup his hands into a foothold for her. Star placed her foot in his palm, before hoisting herself up using his shoulders for leverage. Once she was suspended above ground she sprung up off her companion's hands and grabbed on tightly to the handle. She hung off it as it slid down but instead of a noisy click like usual, there was nothing. Meaning the door was locked.

Star frowned, before dropping back down to her feet, Marco staring at her with a mixture of confusion and anticipation. She bit her lip, thankful he couldn't see her face beneath the hood. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel worse about the whole situation. "Well," he whispered, leaning in close to her face and Star felt her cheeks heat up for some reason.

Star shook her head. "It's locked from the other side," she explained, hoping she didn't sound too disappointed. She really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, especially since the whole thing had seemed too good to be true, but the idea of a decent meal had gotten her excited.

"What?" the boy groaned, his bright eyes filling with disappointment, a sad frown on his face. "But I just checked it yesterday."

"Guess they figured out you were getting in there," Star said, in the most sympathetic tone she could.

"Well guess we came all this way for nothing," Marco said, sitting down hard on the wood floor with pure despair in his voice.

Star couldn't stand seeing her new friend so downtrodden and tried to think of some way to cheer him up. She looked around for an idea of how to help him, before spotting the doorway across the hall, the sound of sharp metal slicing ringing through the air. Star swallowed hard, knowing what she was thinking of was probably a terrible idea. In fact, it was an incredibly stupid and dangerous idea but now that it was in her head, she knew it would be impossible to get out. Besides, she reasoned with herself. I want to make Marco smile again and if it works…

"Well, I know another way we can get some food," Star said, looking over to Marco knowingly.

The boy gave her a confused look, an eyebrow slowly rising. "How?" he asked, with fragile hope in his eyes.

"Well the pantry may be off-limits but…" Star gestured with her head in the direction of the doorway. "I bet there is some food in there."

Marco's eyes widened. "In… there," he whispered, pointing at the doorway fearfully. "B-B-But, the chef is in there."

Star put an arm around his shoulder saying confidently (more confident than she actually felt), "Come on, Marco. It'll be fiiinnneee. I know my way around this place, I'll keep you safe."

Marco frowned, the doubt clear in his eyes, as he muttered nervously, "I don't know."

"Hey, relax. As long as we stay quiet he will never even know we're there," Star said, flashing him a bright grin, not realizing he couldn't see it under her hood.

Star's enthusiasm seemed to sway Marco's mind some, a thoughtful look spreading across his face as he bit his lip, clearly contemplating his options. "Welllll…" he began, only for his rumbling stomach to interrupt him.

"See, Marco, you're hungry, let's get you some food, come on," Star said, not giving the boy a chance to argue as she grabbed his arm and dragged him in the direction of the kitchen. The boy whined under his breath but otherwise didn't resist, following reluctantly along behind his companion.

Everything about this was making his instincts scream at him but he held back the urge to run away, putting his faith and trust in Star. Like she had said, she had been doing this much longer than him, staying alive on this horrible boat all by herself. Marco had barely survived the week, having to fend off every meal he stole from the pantry from rats and other vermin including… leeches. The boy shuddered at the thought.

But Star. Star was amazing! Even though he had only briefly met her, he could tell just how cool she was and he knew if anyone could get them some decent food, it was her. So he figured it was best to follow Star's lead on this.

But he was quickly regretting this as the sound of chopping grew all the louder. The closer they got, the louder it grew, causing anxiety to course through Marco's bloodstream, turning it to ice. When they reached the door frame, Star peaked her head around the side, checking to see the position of the chef, trying to hold back the cringe as she took in the hideous form.

The creature towered over the two miniature children, it's skin an unhealthy looking shade of almost gray. Then again, nothing about the creature screamed healthy. The chef was overweight, barely fitting into its grungy work uniform. Its meaty arms and hands were hard at work, chopping away at a large slab of meat in front of it, short, stubby finger gripping the massive knife tightly as it slammed the blade viciously into the meat, again and again, its movements sporadic and almost vengeful, like it was getting some sick pleasure from it all. It wore the typical garb of a chef, complete with chef hat and apron, its uniform stained with blood and who knows what else.

Its face looked like melting dough, thick layers of skin and flesh hanging loosely from its expressionless face. It was almost too expressionless, something about it felt off to Star like it wasn't really a face at all. Maybe a mask? The chef made noisy grunts and moans as it worked, its attention so focused on its work it thankfully didn't notice the two kids.

Star waited a moment, making sure the nightmarish creature was properly distracted before putting a finger to her lips and gesturing Marco closer. The small boy swallowed hard but followed after the girl, nearly jumping in fright as he spotted the towering figure of the chef. Star saw he was about to scream and quickly covered his mouth with her hand, muffling the cry of terror. Marco continued to stare at the chef in pure fear and Star quickly pulled him to safety under a nearby table, out of the chef's line of sight.

She gave Marco a moment to calm himself down, his breathing shallow and sporadic and Star wasn't sure how he hadn't hyperventilated yet. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, Star thought to herself. But what other choice did they have? They needed to eat and this seemed to be the only way to guarantee them food. The blonde waited until the boy's breathing calmed enough before removing her hand from his mouth, keeping a hand on his back to steady him.

"Sorry," he mouthed to her, afraid of making any sound whatsoever.

Star pulled off her hood and gave him a sympathetic smile mouthing back to him, "It's fine."

She then pointed to herself and toward the next area of the kitchen before pointing at Marco and then at the ground, hoping the message was clear. You stay here, I'll get the food. But the young boy shook his head stubbornly, a determined look in his eyes as he grabbed onto the girl's hand, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks.

There was no way he was letting her go alone. Star had been alone enough, she deserved to have someone by her side. Even if he was afraid, he was going to do everything in his limited power to help her any way he could.

Star was surprised by Marco's response, figuring he would prefer to stay out of harm's way but he actually wanted to go with her. Star felt another stirring in her chest, the warmth beginning to grow and spread to the rest of her but she ignored it for now. Now was not the time to be consumed by emotions, now was the time to act.

So Star simply nodded her head, giving his hand a tight squeeze before slowly leading them out from the safety of the table, creeping past the chef who was still hard at work cutting slabs of meat, before ripping them apart with its bare hands. Star kept a watchful eye on the chef as they tip-toed past him, staying as low to the ground as possible. The chef was becoming violent with its work, slamming the large butcher knife into the meat again and again and Star felt her stomach roll in disgust. These monsters were insane.

The two finally made it past the creature, creeping silently down the stairs into the main area of the kitchen. Star held her breath at every creak she heard on the rotten wood but thankfully the noise was not enough to alert the chef of their presence.

The two tiny kids continued to creep around the kitchen area, ignoring the array of foul odors coming from the many, many boiling pots on the stove tops. How anyone could eat this stuff was beyond Star. The who was eating it was what had her intrigued but she didn't really want to over think that, in all honesty, she would rather not know. Hopefully, there was better food for them to munch on around here. Star looked around for any sign of good food to eat, before spotting a large metal door at the far end of the room. The freezer. That had to have some real food, right?

Star grinned, before tapping Marco on the shoulder to gain his attention. He gave her a confused look and she pointed over to the door. His eyes widened with greed before he licked his lips, the prospect of food too entrancing to them both. He nodded to her, a smile on his innocent face and suddenly everything felt worth it to Star just to see his eyes light up like that.

The two made their way towards the door tip-toeing as slowly and quietly as possible… when two Nomes appeared out of nowhere, chittering as they scurried around the room, one of them bumping into the door to an oven causing it to slam closed. The loud noise caused both Star and Marco to jump in fright and they both felt their hearts drop as a loud moan sounded from the next room, followed by shuffling feet.

The chef had heard the noise and it was coming to investigate.

Star gave up any hopes of stealth as she shouted to her companion, "Run!" The two ran as fast as they could through the kitchen, the chef making another loud groan as it spotted them but Star didn't dare turn around. Instead, she just focused on getting away. She could hear pounding feet as it chased after them and Star quickly ran under a table in the center of the room, hoping that would stall it enough from catching them.

Finally, Star reached the door to the freezer but felt her heart stop as she noticed the large rusted metal lock on its handle. The blonde swallowed hard, trying to think of some way for them to hide before spotting a large shelf. Star nearly sighed in relief as she shouted, "Come on, Marco! Over here!"

But as she turned to check behind her, she saw that Marco was not there. "Marco?" Star repeated softly, feeling a cold fear creeping up her spine.

"Star!" came the terrified and fragile voice of Marco and Star felt pure terror fill her system as she followed the voice to a horrible sight.

The chef had Marco.

Holding him tightly by the back of his hood, being none too gentle with him as it looked around for her. The boy's body swung haphazardly around as he hung there, kicking his bare feet uselessly and trying to somehow pry the meaty grip off of him. But it was no use. Marco was caught.

Star didn't think she had ever been more afraid than she was at that very moment as she watched the one person in the world who understood her and she cared for in the clutches of that vile creature and it was all Star could do to keep herself from running over and trying to pry him loose, but she knew that would only result in both of them being caught. She needed a different plan to save her friend, preferably one that kept either of them from being served up on a platter.

She quickly ducked behind cover as she watched the chef for a moment, trying to formulate some kind of plan to rescue Marco. Her heart was hammering so hard against her chest at this point she worried she was about to have a heart attack. And as she listened to Marco's desperate and frightened cries, calling out for help, screaming Star's name at the top of his lungs, it felt like a knife had just been wedged deep into her heart, twisting viciously within.

The blonde continued to scan the area around her, looking for something, anything, that could save Marco. Finally, the gears in her head began turning as an idea came to her out of nowhere. She didn't even hesitate as she jumped into action, unable to waste precious seconds thinking it through or second-guessing herself, she would just have to hope it worked. For Marco's sake.

Marco's tiny heart was racing so hard it was painful as he tried futilely to free himself, doing anything he could think of to escape. The chef finally gave up its search for the other vermin and instead carried its captive over to a nearby table… one with a conveniently placed cutting board and butcher knife. The chef practically threw Marco down on the table, the boy letting out a cry as his back painfully collided with the hardwood surface. He tried to crawl away but was stopped as the chef placed a grubby hand over him, keeping him pinned and effectively trapped. The boy tried to squirm away but he was trapped, the pressure on his chest causing him to cough and wheeze, struggling to suck in enough oxygen. He could feel something oozing against his back and he felt bile rising at the back of his throat as he shuddered. He did not want to think about what that could be.

The chef casually picked up the knife beside Marco, the gleam off of its smooth edge hitting Marco and causing him to be temporarily blinded. He blinked furiously, trying to regain his vision as he let out shuddering breaths. The moment his vision returned, however, he wished it hadn't as he saw the chef raise the knife high over its head, preparing to strike.

Marco squeezed his eyes shut, his short few years of life flashing before his eyes as he waited for the finishing blow. This was it, he thought to himself. I never even got to tell Star goodbye.

Just before the chef could begin its swing though, something smashed into the back of its head, causing the creature to stumble and release its grip on Marco. The boy looked up with confusion before spotting Star in the scaffolding above a pile of small pots and cups sat next to her. She stared down at him with her bright blue eyes full of relief and determination and for a second Marco wondered if he was staring at the face of an angel instead.

"Marco run!" Star screamed, lifting another pot over her head, preparing to fling it at the chef.

The boy quickly hopped down off the table, the chef reaching down to pick him back up only to be nailed in the arm by the surprisingly strong-armed Star. The boy ran as fast as he could away from the chef, heading the same direction he had seen Star take. The chef chased after him but was stopped after only a few steps as Star managed to land another hit on it with a pot, causing the chef to release a very annoyed growl, clearly growing frustrated with the pair of vermin that had invaded its kitchen.

Star did her best to hold the chef off as Marco ran over to the shelf Star had used, quickly climbing up. But he wasn't fast enough as the chef was finally catching up to him, beginning to ignore the array of glass objects crashing into its head and body, seconds away from reaching the shelf. Star saw her friend wasn't going to make it in time and quickly held out a hand and yelled over to him in desperation, "Marco jump!"

Marco threw himself off the shelf, stretching out an arm towards Star's waiting hand. Time seemed to slow as he flew through the air, reaching out for his friend with all his might, hoping he was able to reach her. Luckily, he barely managed to grab onto her, his fingers nearly slipping out of hers but the blonde squeezed his hand tight, refusing to let go. Star grunted and tried to brace herself as Marco's weight threatened to pull her down too and quickly added her other hand to the effort of holding Marco.

Below them, the chef was stretching up as high as its chubby arms would allow, letting out hideous grunting noise as it tried to somehow reach the two pests. Star and Marco ignored this, however, as Star focused only on pulling Marco up on the overhead beams with her. She finally managed to gain enough leverage to drag him up with her, the boy soon sitting beside her, both panting from exertion and the remnants of adrenaline and terror coursing through their bloodstream.

The two took a moment to calm down, laying next to each other on the high beams and just letting everything that had happened wash over them. That had been one of the most terrifying ordeals of their joint lives and they dreaded to imagine what might have happened had Star not stepped in when she did. Marco tried not to picture the knife being swung high, still seeing the glint of the cool metal and he felt tremors still coarse down his spine at the memory. It had been too real, too close and he was sure it would be haunting his nightmares for weeks after.

"Thanks," Marco finally managed to mumble, still trying to calm his breathing. "That was… too close."

"Yeah, it was," Star agreed, her own voice trembling some. "Sorry I let that happen. I should have protected you better." She slammed a clenched fist into the wooden board they lay on in anger, frustrated with herself for not doing more. She had promised she would keep him safe, instead he had almost gotten killed on her watch.

"Star, it's fine, it's not your fault I got caught," the boy said, trying not to let his fear show as the memory still haunted his mind. It was still too fresh to ignore, to forget. But he didn't want to make his friend feel any worse than she already did. So instead he gave her a warm smile and told her in the most pleasant tone he had at the moment, "Besides you're the one who saved me. I woulda been a goner back there if not for you.”

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have been in any danger if not for me," Star mumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"The important thing is we both survived, right?" Marco said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Star stared at him in surprise for a moment. She had expected him to be angry or upset, maybe even part ways with her to avoid further disaster. Instead, he willingly and openly forgave her and Star was so stunned by this she had no idea how to respond for a moment. Instead, she found herself staring into his stunning brown orbs for a moment, full of so much hope and tenderness that her cheeks heated up against her will.

She coughed into her hand to hide whatever this strange emotion was Marco kept making her feel, deciding it best to change the subject before she started acting weird. She really didn't want to humiliate herself in front of her new friend. So she tried to distract herself by taking a closer look at the kitchen below. At this point the chef had given up any hope of catching the intruders, instead going back to making its disgusting meals, grumbling to itself the whole time in its high-pitched whine.

But the blonde wasn't interested in the chef anymore, her concern was on the freezer door and more importantly the lock that prevented them entry inside. She laid her head on her knee for a moment as she muttered in annoyance, "Well so much from getting any food in there."

Marco sat up and followed her gaze to the door, frowning in disappointment. "Yeah, I was really hoping to eat, too."

The two let out simultaneous sighs, staring in longing as the only chance at a decent meal was just out of reach. If only they could get inside there. Suddenly an idea came to Marco, his eyes widening at the thought and a bright smile beginning to spread across his face. He turned to his companion and quickly proclaimed, "Actually I think we can!"

"What? How?!" Star asked in intrigue, leaning closer to him until their faces were nearly touching.

Marco ignored the stirring his chest at the close contact, instead replying, "Well that's a lock right? So all we need to do is find the key."

Star gasped, her own eyes filling with excitement as she exclaimed, "Marco, you're a genius!"

The boy blushed at the compliment, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. "I mean, I don't know if I'd say genius," he muttered in embarrassment. But his nervousness doubled as Star suddenly threw her arms around him in a hug, causing his heart to skip a beat. The warmth was surprising but not unwelcome and Marco found himself melting into the tight embrace, treasuring every second.

Star wasn't sure why she had decided to do this, she had just been so… was happy the right word? She didn't know what she was feeling but she just knew she needed to express it in some way and the next thing she knew she had her arms around him. But now that it was happening, she found she kinda enjoyed it. She liked having Marco this close to her and she found her heart stirring inside her chest for some reason. She still didn't know how to describe the feeling just yet but.... it was nice.

The girl released her hold, pulling back so they could stare into each other's flushing faces. Star felt suddenly awkward about the display of affection, playing with a loose strand of hair as she whispered, "Sorry, I don't know why I was…" Her voice trailed off and she was tempted to hide her flushed face inside her hood once more.

"Uhh, no it's fine," Marco replied, still clearly in shock but the joy on his face was clear as day. "I thought it was nice."

Star grinned back. "Me too."

The two stayed like that for a moment, smiling blissfully at each other, before a loud swing from the chef's knife caused the two to jump, reminding them where they were at. "Come on," Star said, standing up. "Let's go find that key!"

"Alright," Marco replied enthusiastically, following along behind the girl as they went in search of the key to their breakfast.

...

Star peeked her head out from the grate she was hiding in, watching as the two chefs noisily cleaned the dishes, piles and piles sprawled before them, some reaching almost as high as the ceiling. But that wasn't what had piqued Star's interest, her focus was on the small silver key set precariously close to the soapy water and in plain view of the two monsters. Marco must have noticed it too because he turned to her with a smile and a determined gleam in his eye, which she returned. They both nodded as one before crouching back under so they could safely discuss their plan of attack.

The two had been searching for the key for a while now but luckily they had found a loose floorboard and had been able to sneak around undetected right under the Monsters' noses. Except now their only way to get into the freezer was being guarded by the twin chefs and getting past them was going to be tricky. "So what now?" Marco asked Star, keeping his voice below a whisper.

Star thought for a second before replying, "We need to lure them away somehow."

She put a finger to her chin, pondering over an idea, when Marco suddenly said, "The hooks.”

"Huh?" Star said, looking over at the boy in confusion.

"There are a conveyor of hooks running all through this place, I bet if we find the switch that'd draw their attention," Marco explained simply.

"Oh yeah!" Star agreed, smiling brightly at her new friend. "Great idea, Marco!"

The boy grinned at the praise, before standing up and starting to crawl out of the grate, "Cool, then I'll go find the switch-”

But Star cut him off, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him back down with her, saying in a quiet hiss, "Are you crazy?! You can't go out there it's too dangerous!"

“Well one of us has to find the switch," Marco argued.

But Star wasn't having, shaking her head vigorously. "No way, it's too risky! What if you get caught again?!"

"I'll be careful," Marco told her, trying to sound more reassuring than he felt. "Besides, someone is gonna have to run to get the key and I think we both know who is faster." The two shuddered as the memory from earlier flashed through their minds, neither of them wanted a repeat of what happened.

"Okay," Star reluctantly agreed. "Just promise me you'll be safe."

Marco nodded once. "Of course. Safe is my middle name," he told her, giving her a small smile. Marco could see the tiniest of grins on Star's lips and he felt his heart flutter. Then, without warning, she pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly against her for a moment. Marco's cheeks blushed red but he wrapped his own arms around Stars slender frame, listening to her even breathing for a moment.

They parted much too quickly for Marco's liking, craving her warmth and comfort almost as much as she did. But that would have to wait for now, they needed to focus on the task ahead. They could decipher the tangle of emotions they felt later. Marco stood up and Star whispered softly to him, "Good luck."

Marco nodded, before replying, "You too." He then climbed out of the hole slowly. He kept a close eye on the two chefs, who were too deep in their task to notice him yet, as he carefully crept around, staying low to the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible.

He saw one of the chefs move away from the dishes and he quickly hid underneath one of the large sinks, trying to keep his breathing steady as his heart pounded painfully against his chest. He waited until his heartbeat had slowed to a reasonable speed, before risking peeking his head out from the safety of his hiding spot. The chefs had its back to him, sniffling noisily as it arranged dishes on a large shelf. Marco, seeing he was safe for the moment began looking around for the switch he needed. He spotted a large lever in the next room and smiled. That was it. It had to be.

Marco, seizing his chance, sucked in a deep breath and stepped out of his hiding spot. He tiptoed toward the next room, keeping a close eye on the chef as he did. He held his breath, his body starting to shake with fear as he repeated again and again in his terror-filled mind, Please don't turn around, please don't turn around, please don't turn around.

Snap!

The sudden jarring noise caused Marco to jump, looking slowly down at the floor where the sound had come from. The boy felt his heart come to a painful stop as he spotted the bits of glass under his feet. The boy had been so focused on the chef he hadn't been paying enough attention to the world around him and had somehow not noticed the array of broken, discarded plates scattered around him from where the chefs had presumably dropped them.

The boy froze as he heard a grunt from the chef, turning to the towering creature with pure dread coursing through his veins and nearly screamed in fright as he saw the chef turning around to see what had caused the loud noise. Marco panicked, time seeming to slow to a crawl as he waited for his presence to be revealed, to be caught and captured all over again. He knew he should move, run, escape but he couldn't. His legs felt like they were made of lead and his body was still and unmoving as a result.

This was it. In a matter of seconds, he would be back in the grubby grip of the nightmarish chef. He wasn't sure he could bear being flung around haphazardly by the heartless capture again. Couldn't stand the thought of being pinned in place as he watched the instrument of his demise slowly rise, ready to end his short, few years of existence.

But then suddenly, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, Marco remembered Star. How devastated she would be if he died. How she was counting on him to pull through. He had promised her he would be careful. And he couldn't let her down. He refused to cause her anymore pain or grief. He had seen her desperation before, when she had struggled to reach that loaf of bread, the sight of her so helpless and struggling had torn at his heartstrings. He didn't want her to suffer, he wanted to help her, even if he didn't know how just yet.

So he pushed back his fears into the corner of his mind and forced his legs into motion. He ran quickly across the loose floorboards doing his best to dodge around the broken plates and make as little to no noise as possible. Still, just as he entered the next room he heard the chef release a surprised grunt and he knew he had been spotted. He had to be quick and make every second count.

He hopped up onto a table and jumped onto the lever. His weight caused the switch to be pulled down, a loud whining sound invaded Marco's eardrums and nearly causing them to burst. He landed back on the table and covered his ears with his hands, the sound of grating metal almost too much for his fragile ears. After a few seconds, it stopped as the conveyor of hooks began moving in the opposite direction. Marco smiled in victory.

But he didn't have long to celebrate this as the chef walked into the room Marco was in, letting out an annoyed groan as it spotted him. The boy ran across the tabletop, pushing his legs faster than they could physically go, hoping to somehow escape. The chef strutted its way over to the table, reaching out a grubby hand to grab him but Marco slid under it at the last second.

The boy then jumped through a window into the main room again, landing in a sink filled with soapy water. Marco, who had never learned to swim, struggled to get above water, flailing his arms in some desperate attempt at not drowning. But his clothes felt like they were weighing him down as he became distinctly aware of the chain on his ankle which seemed to be dragging him down instead of up. And to make it worse his eyes were stinging from the obsessive amounts of soap the monsters had used to clean the dirty plates. Finally, the boy managed to get his head above water, gasping and sputtering and he tightly gripped the edge of the sink.

He looked up with blurry and pain-filled vision to see the second chef rushing at him as fast as its stubby legs could carry it. "Oh come on!" Marco screamed in annoyance. Could the universe just give him a freaking break?

The boy quickly jumped out of the sink and made a break for his hiding spot from earlier, his drenched clothes making it difficult to run. Still, he managed to reach the table unharmed, ducking down underneath it and trying to make himself as small as possible. The twin chefs had soon gathered around the table, one of them struggling to reach underneath, straining with all its might to reach the boy, the other just watching the whole thing with nervous annoyance.

Star took advantage of the distraction Marco had provided, quickly racing over to the large sink, climbing up onto it and picking up the key. She smiled in victory, which was short-lived as one of the chefs spotted her and let out a loud moan. Star felt her heartbeat race in her chest, looking around for an exit. She would never make it to the grate in time, which meant she needed another way out of here.

Her gaze rested on the hooks above her head and an idea sprang into her mind. She threw the key with all her might, letting it hit the ground with a loud thud, the chef forgoing her in favor of its precious key. Star then shouted over to her companion, "Marco, over here!"

The second chef had stopped its attempts to snatch him up to watch the commotion going on with its brother and Marco used this distraction to crawl out from underneath the table and quickly running over to Star. The girl offered him a hand up, as he climbed up onto the side of the sink with her. "Where's the key?" he asked, panting from both fear and exertion.

Star shook her head. "Forget the key, we gotta get outta here.”

"How?" Marco asked, his voice cracking with fear.

"We go up," Star said, looking up at the line of hooks and then a large stack of plates reaching just high enough for the two of them to be in reach of the hooks. Marco followed her gaze before a small grin lit up his face. The two's eyes met again and they shared a brief smile before nodding in unison. They had a plan, now was the time to see it in action.

The two climbed up the large stack of plates, ignoring as they wobbled and jolted around with every step. When Star and Marco reached the top they found themselves struggling to keep their balance, holding out their arms in an attempt to stay on the unsteady stack. The chefs both reached for the two children, grunting in their feeble attempts, growing more and more frustrated with every second that passed. Star, however, had her eyes on the hooks, waiting for one to be in position for them to reach it.

She watched as one slowly slid closer, her body tensing as she shouted, "Marco, get ready to jump!"

"Right!" the boy yelled back, determination in his voice as the two crouched down waiting for the right moment.

"3," Star whispered under her breath.

"2," Marco added, his voice shaking with anticipation.

"1!" The two kids shouted together jumping up just as the hook passed over their heads. The sudden shift in weight, finally caused the huge stack of plates to collapse and tumble onto the unsuspecting chefs, causing them to groan in pain and surprise.

Star grabbed tightly onto the rusted metal, while Marco wrapped his arms around Star's waist, clinging to her tightly. The two cheered in victory as they sailed over the kitchen, Star shouting at the frazzled chefs, "Ha take that you monsters! That's the last time you'll think about messing with us!" She then stuck her tongue out at the creatures for added measure.

Marco just let out a sigh of relief, glad that the whole terrifying incident was over. He held Star in an almost death grip trying to ignore the long drop that waited just below them, burying his head into her bright raincoat. Now that they were safe and out of harm's way he couldn't help but enjoy holding onto Star like this, even if they were precariously dangling in the air.

However, something was still bothering Marco. Something he couldn't quite get his mind off of. "Star, where do these hooks lead?" he asked, looking up at his more knowledgeable friend.

Star didn't seem even slightly worried, saying in a smooth, confident tone, "Oh relax, Marco. I'm sure everything will be fine now that we got away from those chefs."

Marco looked up ahead to see where the conveyor belt was leading them only to gasp in shock. "Oh no we didn't!" he screamed and Star looked over her shoulder only to see one of the chefs waiting for them, piles of packages stacked all around it.

Star gasped in surprise and let go of the hook, dropping the two to the ground without warning. Thankfully, a pile of cloth broke their fall and the two slowly crawled their way out of it, cringing and rubbing their aching backsides from the rough landing.

The door behind them busted open, the sheer force causing the thin wood to snap off its hinges and Star and Marco jumped at the sudden noise. The second chef stood in the doorway, a towering, hideous figure fuming with hate and rage and the pair felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end at the sight.

"Run!" Star screamed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, gripping Marco's arm tightly and pulling him along behind her. She wasn't going to make the same mistake as before. She was not letting him go this time. The two ran as fast as their little legs would let them, their bare feet slapping against the wooden floor and they could hear the enraged chef chasing after them, right on their heels.

What was worse the two were quickly approaching a dead end, a huge gap in the ship standing between them and freedom and Star felt her heart clench in despair. Until Marco shouted, "Look, more hooks!"

The blonde followed her companion's pointing finger to a new row of hooks, these stretching right across the massive gaping hole in front of them. Star tightened her grip on Marco's hand, hoping they made it to them in time.

They could hear the loud, gurgling breathe of the chef getting louder and louder and Star knew they couldn't wait any longer… not unless they wanted to be monster food. So, steadying her nerves (what was left of them) and sucking in a deep breath of air (possibly her last) she dove for the hooks, jumping off the thin railing that was meant to keep people from slipping over the side to their deaths. Marco somehow sensed her movement and jumped too, the two airborne for a second, before Star managed to snatch the hook out of mid-air, the two now dangling from the moving conveyor belt, only their intertwined hands keeping Marco from plummeting to his death..

The chefs were none too happy seeing their prey escaping, throwing all manners of things at them from plates to large bottles of intoxicants, letting out high-pitched groans and grunts as they watched their possible meal slowly drift away.

Unlike before the two kids didn't dare cheer their victory, Star was too busy trying not to lose her grip on Marco's hand. Their position had been much easier before, her arm straining to hold Marco's weight, feeling like her bone was being pulled from the socket. Not to mention her grip on the hook threatening to slip with every passing second. But she fought through the pain, focusing only on getting her and Marco to safety. She would not lose Marco now. Not after everything they had just gone through.

Finally, Star could let go as the hooks flew over a large metal pipe, the two landing gracefully on it. Star clutched her sore arm tightly, hissing some in pain and Marco was quick to check on her. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" he asked, concern in his voice as he put a hand gently on the limb.

"I'll be fine," Star reassured him, giving him a bright smile.

Marco nodded but wasn't entirely convinced, reminding himself to keep a close eye on her for a bit. He turned and looked back over the gap, letting out a longing sigh. "Well there went our meal ticket," he muttered under his breath.

Star frowned, sitting down on the pipe as she contemplated everything. "Yeah, I know. Sorry I blew our chance to eat," she mumbled dejectedly.

"Star it's fine, I'm just glad we got away," Marco said, subconsciously laying a hand on top of hers. Star shivered as his warm palm soaked into her cold skin, making her whole arm tingle from the touch. "Besides we'll find more food.... soon."

Star nodded, unable to keep the smile off her face. "Yeah, you're right," she replied in a much more upbeat tone. She didn't know what it was but something about Marco made her world… brighter somehow. She really liked having him around.

"So what now?" Marco asked, looking to her for answers, his bright eyes causing her heart to do all kinds of weird things.

Star shrugged, ignoring the sudden heat in her cheeks. "Guess we should see where this pipe leads."

"You think it'll lead into anything good?" Marco asked as the two stood, their hands still locked. They didn't know why but they liked it better this way.

"Probably not," Star said honestly. "But it can't hurt to try."

"Can't argue with that," the boy replied with a shrug. After everything that had happened today, he really didn't see how it could get any worse.

...

The two followed the pipe for a bit, not really sure what to expect on the other end. They began to notice a strange warmth coming from up ahead but couldn't quite figure out what it was. That was when Star heard a sound and felt her heart jump for joy. She stopped in her tracks, causing Marco to stumble into her on accident. "Marco, do you hear that?" she asked in excitement.

Marco paused to listen intently, finally hearing a chittering sound. "Is that a Nome?"

"Yep!" Star said, her eyes shimmering for the first time since Marco had met her.

"So what about it?" Marco asked in confusion.

"First rule of survival, when in doubt follow the Nomes," Star explained. She dragged Marco behind her as she ran across the pipe as quickly as possible before coming across a crack in the wall. The two paused at that, sharing looks with each other, before shrugging. Star slipped in through the tiny crack, sucking in her breath to help her squeeze through a little easier, Marco following right behind her.

What the two stepped into caught both of them off-guard. A group of Nomes, at least 20 or so were all laying around the area, a large boiler, full of hot coals and warm fire rested in the center of the room. The Nomes, upon spotting the two intruders quickly panicked and all started to scamper away.

"Wait, little guys!" Star called after them. "We won't hurt you!"

She let go of Marco's hand to chase after them, while Marco could only stand there dumbfounded. He had only ever heard the Nomes before through the cracks in his prison but seeing them in person it was quite a sight. They had cone-shaped heads, all completely featureless and small gray bodies. They were even shorter than Star and Marco and that was saying something but something about them also felt kinda cute, although that was probably helped along as he watched his friend's funny but endearing attempts to catch the remarkably quick Nomes shouting after them in an attempt to get them to stop. "Just let me hug you!”

Marco laughed out loud, feeling his cheeks heat up with a blush. But he soon spotted one of the Nomes stuck in a small crack in the wall that it had been too big to squeeze through. The boy rushed over to help the tiny creature, plucking it effortlessly out of the wall. "There you go, little guy," Marco said, setting it back on its feet.

Star, spotted the creature and quickly rushed over, lifting it off of its feet before hugging it tightly. Marco grinned at the cute sight before the blonde set the small creature back down who now let out a gentle coo and stared up at her almost longingly. "Now you hug him, Marco," Star told her friend, giving him an encouraging grin.

"Oh, okay I guess," Marco said, picking the creature up and hugging it just like Star had. It was surprisingly warm and the boy felt his spirits lift a little just by embracing the adorable creature.

The other Nomes, seeing that the intruders were friendly, slowly began to approach them, still slightly hesitant and fearful. Time aboard this ship had taught the Nomes to be cautious.

Soon, Star and Marco found themselves surrounded by Nomes and they happily took turns picking them up and hugging each one, the creatures soon almost begging to be picked up, each one getting more and more excited by the show of affection. Finally, the happy moment was broken up by a loud grumbling from Marco's stomach who blushed bright red.

"Aww poor Marco," Star cooed over to her friend. "I'm sure you must be hungry."

"Maybe a little," Marco replied, rubbing his empty stomach with a sad frown.

The Nomes heard this and all began to chitter loudly, rushing off to a corner of the room and Star and Marco shared a look of confusion. A second later, the gnomes were back now holding a large array of food which they set down in front of the pair. Star and Marco gasped in delight and surprise, feeling their mouths begin to water staring at the food. Real food!

Star and Marco didn't even question the creatures kindness as they began to gobble down the food as fast as their tiny mouths would allow. It was the best meal either had ever had, most of the time surviving on scraps but now they could fill their bellies up as much as they wanted. Anytime the two started to run low, the gnomes would bring them more and the two ate until their stomachs were stuffed to bursting.

The two let out happy moans as the food settled in their stomachs, before turning to the small creatures. "Thanks guys, we really appreciate it!" Star said brightly and the Nomes all let out what the blonde could only assume was joyful chitters.

With their bellies now full and their bodies warm and comfortable thanks to the furnace, the two felt the next pressing matter than needed to be attended to. That they, were in fact, beyond exhausted. It had been a tiring day both mentally and physically the two found themselves yawning and rubbing their eyes as they struggled to stay awake. "We should probably get some sleep," Star suggested.

Marco nodded but Star noticed his body visibly tense up. "Is everything okay, Marco?" she asked, concern etched into her voice.

Marco shook his head before admitting, "It's just… what if I have a bad dream?" He bit his lip, shuddering as he imagined the many nightmares he was often plagued by. And after today, he knew a few more had just been added to the list.

"Do you have nightmares a lot?" Star asked, already guessing the answer.

"Yeah," the boy muttered, his pupils wide with fear. "Sometimes I don't sleep cause I'm afraid… I'll dream about bad stuff again."

"Me too," Star replied and Marco caught her gaze, sympathy and understanding layered beneath. She could see his need was just as strong as hers and she tried to think of some way to help comfort him, to ease his mind.

"Here, how about this? You can lay on me and if you start to have a bad dream, I'll wake you," Star suggested, giving him a warm smile.

"But what about you?" Marco asked in concern. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

Star nodded. "Yeah but I'll sleep easier having you here."

Marco didn't argue with that, allowing Star to wrap her arms around him, his head resting against her chest. He found Star's presence comforting and as he gently breathed in her scent he found his eyes slowly closing. In a matter of minutes, Marco was fast asleep in Star's arms.

The blonde, however, just lay there soaking in Marco's warmth as she thought over her long, exhausting day. For so long life on board the Maw had been pointless and empty. She had carried on day by day just fighting to stay alive for no other reason than her own will to live. She had felt like her life lacked direction or purpose whatsoever but still she had carried on through the darkness and shadows, hoping to find something that would make her miserable existence worthwhile.

And then Marco had arrived and suddenly, she had a reason to live again. To believe, to hope that maybe someday there could be something better for her out there. Because now she had someone to share that with. She had a friend. A companion. Someone she could lean on and that could lean on her and it felt like for the first time in her life she was at peace.

And as Star lay there listening to Marco's breathing as her own eyes began to slowly shut, she promised herself that somehow she would help Marco escape this life, they would leave this dreadful ship together. Her nightmarish world felt a little brighter on that day and as sleep finally took hold Star found herself dreaming of light and hope and Marco.

[misterewrites]

Marco Ubaldo Van Diaz (Monster Hunter AU/starcoween) part 1

Hey everyone, Mr.E here and I finally did it! I finally made my own writing blog  on tumblr! woo *throws confetti* I finally decided to just put my stories in one place so it’s easier for people to read. I felt weird about the idea to be honest but i decided it was for the best.

Story prompt of the day: Marco Diaz is a fledgling monster hunter. While on his latest contract, he stumbles into trouble and needs help to fend off another monster. However, is he willing to accept it from what lurks deep in the woods?

I love me my gothic horror. I love me my Castlevania, the witcher and van helsing, Dracula, old movie monsters and of course the curse of strahd dnd campaign  I’m doing. So what better for starcoween, my totally made up holiday i missed anyway? write my own version.  This is based on a few things. Dnd, van helsing, castlevania etc etc (the big bad is actually a reference to the curse of strahd) so there’s not really one source in here. Also it is darker than my usual stuff but i did still add comedic because that’s what I like.

So that’s it for me. I hope you all enjoy. I plan to get my stories on this blog asap  so they’re easy to find if you ever want to reread them. Also this second part will be a little late because I have birthday gifts to give out. So the next story I’ll do is spatz pirates au part 3. Also, let me know whatcha think of a certain character I have written for for the first time. have a great week! 

“I am here to witness your passing” the young man said, kneeing before the loose circle of candles that flickered back and forth with a hypnotic sway.

He was strangely dressed for these neck of the woods: A elegant black coat with a well kept red vest and white collared shirt. A black ascot tie wrapped snugly around his neck and a simple brown riding cloak draped over his shoulders. His boots were caked with mud from his travels though he carried a strange assortment of baggage: Two sheathed blades hung on his back, a bag slung around his shoulder with random pouches sewed onto his belt.  

“I beseech you: Move on from this world and lay your grudges to rest”

The crackling of the flames were the only response he received.

“Your spirit is weary, your anger is great.” Marco murmured gently under his breath, clutching the small doll in his hands carefully “I will put you to rest.”

He stood to full height, the icy breeze playfully tugging at his ponytail as he held his lantern close. With one swift movement, the doll caught ablaze and was flung directly into circle.

Marco’s face remained stony and indifferent as an inhuman shriek broke the quiet of the night. A blackish, oily smoke rose from the burning toy yet instead of rising to the sky, it remained, growing in size while humanoid shapes formed within. Hands clasping at empty air, long dark hair billowing through the haze, faces shifting between unparalleled joy and furious anger.

“Do not resist” Marco calmly spoke to the entity “I know it’s scary but you must let go or you will harm many.”

The shriek grew and grew, echoing through the darkened forest. The smoke began to form into a ghostly shade: a young woman with dark hair and tatter clothing. Her eyes gleamed with an ailing yellow glow, her skin was cracked and sickly, her teeth were sharp and curved like fangs. Her fingers shifted between human and beastly talons.

She focused on the lone man, hissing angrily under her breath but Marco remained unmoved by her threat. He patiently kept his gaze, refusing to break contact with the specter.

Without warning, she lashed out. Raising her arms, she lunged forward, hands tensed to wrap themselves against an unsuspecting throat.

The flames from the candles burned orange for a moment before blazing a righteous blue and as the ghostly shade approached Marco, a fiery torrent rose. Her hands scraped at the fire but it stung far worse than any flame she had ever known in life. White smoke curled off her body as the flames shrank but still glowed a pale blue.

“Sorry” Marco gave an unapologetic shrug “Holy candles and a magic circle tends to do that. Because you’re corrupted and all.”

The shade glanced downwards realizing she had been tricked. Beneath the burning doll was a circular chalk outline of complex runes and symbols that glimmered with the faint trace of magic now that they held a wayward spirit.

The ghostly woman thrashed but each time she drew closer to the candles, the fires rose, towering above her in warning. She tried smothering the flames that burnt her childhood treasure but nothing could halt the fire as it consumed the toy slowly.

Marco remained still until the doll was burnt to ash and a gentle wind scattered the remains.

The ghost began to gleam with a pure white light. Her skin cleared, her eyes now a pleasant green, fangs retracted until they became human once more. The clothing mended itself until it was pristine and elegant.

A woman no older than Marco replaced the vicious shade and looked gratefully upon him. He gave a polite, understanding nod as the woman vanished into dozens of tiny lights that quickly ascend into the night sky. The flames went out at once, the candles now waxy puddles as the magic circle’s glow faded.

Marco fished out a scroll from one of the pouches. What once contained unreadable magical runes he could never hope to decipher or read was now blank, its surface empty and bare.

“Another successful contract” Marco sighed appreciatively.

Marco had been training to be a hunter all his life and while his natural talent had gotten him far, he still was new to this line of work. Up to now, all he had really done was help rest some wayward spirits and stopped the occasional zombie horde. The wraith was the first real threat the Guild entrusted to him and while he was happy another soul was now at peace, he did not feel accomplished at his task.

“Hunters do not seek fame and glory” Marco recited the Guild’s manta “but it really does help getting jobs.”

Marco sighed while he began cleaning up the site, brushing the chalk away with his gloved hands and covering the dried wax with dirt when a scream rang out from the darkness. Not a ghastly haunted one but a very real, very helpless living cry for help.

Marco raced through the thickets and foliage of the forest, adrenaline surging into his tired body.

He broke through the bushes and nearly fell off a previously unseen hill in his haste. He flailed wildly, shifting his weight back and forth while trying to regain his balance.

“Okay!” Marco scolded himself “Don’t go running blindly through the forest, it might be a bad idea….”

His voice trailed off when he finally noticed the burning village below, battle cries, crackling flames and terrified screams filled the night in a macabre symphony.

“well shit that’s not good!” Marco cried as he raced forward, one hand reaching for his blade, the other grasping the air in an attempt to steady his footing making his way down to the hill.

He was roughly halfway through his heroic charge when his foot caught a grass clump and took a less than refined spill downhill. He tumbled for a moment or two before being flung through the air straight into a thick fuzzy body and knocking them both onto the scratchy dirt floor.

Marco groaned unhappily, covering his mouth as his stomach churned nauseously.

“Ugh, I hate motion sickness.” Marco gave an ungentlemanly burp before turning to the poor soul he crashed into “You okay?”

A chill ran down his spine as a deep, hungry growl responded to his question. What he mistook for hay was actually dark bluish gray fur that smelt of blood. He gulped nervously as the figure dug their sharp nails into effortlessly the earth. The face was not one of a friend or even human but a wolf’s with murder singing in its red eyes.

“Werewolf” Marco said matter of fact before snapping into action. With one fluent motion, he unsheathed his blade and swung for the beast’s neck.

Marco flinched as the blade bounced harmlessly off the creature. He glanced at his weapon and let out a frustrated moan upon realizing his mistake

“I grabbed the wrong one!” He scolded himself but there was no time to smack himself. The werewolf took advantage of the novice mistake and swiped angrily at the hunter. Marco caught the attack with the flat of his blade but the beast’s strength knocked him back onto the balls of his feet. The creature’s eyes narrowed in excitement as it prepared for one final lunge.

That was its mistake. Marco reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his hand crossbow  and sent its payload into the charging werewolf. It howled in pain, the slivered arrow head piercing its thick hide and burying itself deep into its body. It feebly tried to pull the bolt free but the sliver burned, intensifying the pain that coursed through its body.

Marco sheathed the steel blade he accidentally pulled and drew out the sliver one he meant to. The werewolf’s gaze fell upon the weapon, its polished blade gleaming in the moonlight.

For a moment, the world ceased to exist as the two combatants stared the other down, waiting for the moment to strike.

The werewolf broke the stalemate, dropping onto all fours and attempting to blindside Marco with its speed.

Marco scoffed as he brought down his sword into the creature, whispering a prayer as it fell dead at his feet.

Marco wiped the sweat off his brow when the world came crashing back in. What he thought was the werewolf’s primal animistic snarls thundering in his ears were actually echoing all around him.

“It’s a pack” Marco realized “A pack of werewolves.”

Marco pulled the bolt from the dead werewolf and broke into a run, a fearful thought nestling into his mind. He had never fight a werewolf before and this village was at the mercy of a bloodthirsty pack of them. He hadn’t the slightest idea how many were running around or if the town’s guard were ready to deal with such a threat.

Marco felt his desperation rising as he ran through city streets blindly. Fallen bodies, buildings ransacked or destroyed, the living scattered while the hungry howls of wolves came from all directions.

“A hunter out in public? Strange to see one not lurking in the shadows. Perhaps you’ve all grown a backbone.”

Marco skidded to a stop. His skin crawled as a thick, seductive magic blanketed the icy night and weighed heavily on his body.

The young hunter gripped his sliver blade tightly, searching for the owner of the voice but none could be found.

“Here hunter. Above your squishy mortal coil.”

Marco’s eyes hardened at the sight of the man perched lazily on a nearby rooftop: He was hardly much older than Marco with a handsomeness that was too perfect to be human. His raven hair short yet well kept. His pale red eyes glimmered with a dangerous charisma. He wore fine clothing, the kind Marco had only seen nobles or kings flaunt carelessly. His lean frame was draped in black cape with blood red lining that looked like it was dripping free of the fabric.

“Tell me hunter.” the man said with a conversational tone as he slid across the roof tiling “Are you a brave man? Or simply foolish?”

Marco resisted the urge to take a step back: whatever this man was, he was a threat and one that could not be taken lightly.

“Based on your reaction to my presence” The man sneered playfully “You were not sent to hunt me, were you?”

Marco remained silent.

“Hmm” The man stroked his chin thoughtfully “Interesting. I am Count Rictavio von Zarovich, local lord of the area. You can see my castle in the distance.”

Marco glanced where the man gestured and sure enough he could see a small piece of a tower peeking above the treeline.

“I was under the impression the castle had long since been abandoned” Marco replied. He thought frantically of ways to shift the situation in his favor but if he was facing what he thought he was facing, he would be lucky to escape unharmed.

“Ah mortals” Rictavio’s voice took on a longing tone “Your memory is so small.”  

“Well” Marco shrugged, eyes locked with von Zarovich “We all can’t be vampires, can we?”

“No” the Count smirked as two long pointed fangs slid down “We can’t.”

Marco’s body tensed as he tried urgently to recall all he could remember about the vampiric undead but before he could gather his thoughts, a howl scattered his thoughts.

He reached madly dove into his pouches, his hands agitated in a mad search for the one item that could protect him.

Another howl screeched even closer than before and out of the corner of his eye, Marco could see large shadows quickly darting out of the forest menacingly.

“Come on” Marco muttered to himself “Come on!”

Rictavio smiled joyfully which Marco wasn’t sure was a good or bad thing.

Marco didn’t stop even as impossibly large black wolves slowly drew closer, their red eyes alive with an unceasing hunger towards the hunter.

Marco nearly sobbed with relief as he pulled free the old, nearly destroyed scroll. He held it triumphantly and with a calm voice, Marco spoke the ancient language written on the paper. it crumbled in his hands while the magic it held took effect.

A shining translucent bubble formed all around him at once, shielding him from the pack and their vampire lord.

One wolf tried biting at the encased hunter but pulled away as a holy energy burnt at its jaw. The other wolves snarled and began circling him once more.

Rictavio looked amused “I have never seen such a shoddy protection spell before. You hunters are so uneducated.”

Marco twitched anxiously. Rictavio was spouting out knowledge about hunters like it was the weather. Most hunters didn’t have a drop of magic in them and magical scrolls and items tended to be rare personal possessions.

What made Marco nervous, however, was how the vampire knew how helpless he truly was: Head to head fights were often ill advised. Monsters and creatures were physically superior to even the fittest hunter. That’s why most usually study their prey, setting up ambushes and waiting for when the situation favored them. Even a hunter’s toolkit was prepared for battling a specific creature which is how Rictavio knew Marco was no threat to him. He was here for a wraith, not a vampire and his pet werewolves.

“The night is young” The Count spoke with an air of confidence “and that spell won’t last forever. This, my dear hunter, is where you die.”

“Well” Marco tried to muster a tone of assurance “You should probably keep count of how many wolves I’m going to kill. I got one earlier so the current count is one. Obviously”

“Humor is all your have now.”

“No” Marco disagreed “I got denial too. Really helps keep the edge off.”

“Your jokes are as terrible as your hunting.”

“Why don’t you come closer and find out?”

Rictavio made a motion to sneer again when, without warning, a warm gentle light basked the area in its illumination.

Marco was fine aside from his eyes readjusting for a moment from the sudden shift in lighting.

His foes were not so lucky.

Steam rolled off the wolves as they writhed in pain, their forms switching between their four legged and their heinous werebeast shapes. Whatever what was going was not what they signed up for and in droves they bolted and escaped into the darkness of the forest.

Rictavio lasted a few moments longer: His skin bruised and flaked under what felt like sunlight but he seemed unconcerned by the new development.

“Run hunter” he mocked with a toothy grin “and let’s see what remains when you return.”

And flourish of his cape, the vampire had vanished and in his place was a gigantic, monstrous bat escaping into the night.

The sphere of protection cracked and broke a few seconds later. The crackling of flames, sobs of sorrow and shouts for help were all that remained of the monsters.

Marco glanced where the strange light came from and found a cloaked figure standing near some trees, her hand outstretched still.

“Who are you?” Marco called, turning to face his savior.

The figure straightened up at once, her hand slipping under her riding cloak as she looked around.

“Who, me?” the figure gestured to herself.

“Umm…yeah” Marco nodded in confirmation “you’re the only one there. Who else would I be talking to?”

“That’s not true” the figure countered childishly “This tree is here. You should really apologize to mister tree.”

“I’m sorry mister tree.”

“Thank you!”

“Now, how did you do that?”

“Oh, you hear that?” the figure nudged the fallen corpse that lay near her feet “He’s talking to you. You should answer. Welp, it looks like you’re having a rather serious conversation so I’ll just get going. Okaythanksbye!”

and just like that, the figure ran, swallowed whole by the looming forest.

Marco frowned: part of him wanted to chase after her not only to properly thank her but also perhaps work out a deal about creating a new protection scroll. She was clearly a powerful spellcaster and her timing was perfect.

But he couldn’t just leave yet, not with the village so devastated. He needed to help the best he could and in any way possible. Guilt bit at him as his failure to repel the attack weighed heavily on his mind.  

The damage wasn’t as bad as he initially feared but that didn’t lessen the horrors remained. 12 villagers had died during the attack, a few were bitten but it was unclear if the lycanthropy curse had been passed on to them and some were missing, currently thought to have been carried off by the pack. Many buildings were severely damaged to the point of near collapse and those that weren’t still needed desperate repairs.

“Things look grim” the captain bluntly told Marco “the guard consists of twenty people and we can’t be everywhere at once. We don’t even have enough slivered weapons to properly fight off the pack and we still have the vamprye to content with.”

Marco scratched his chin thoughtfully “It is rather strange a vampire would be able to gain the loyalty of a pack of werewolves.”

“Is it? Such an alliance would be beneficial to both parties” The captain replied “The vamprye gets blood and the wolves meat…..”

“How long ago did he appear? Current rumors stated the castle was abandoned centuries ago.”

“About a month now.” the captain rubbed his eyes tiredly “He appeared without warning but at first it was simply that undead fiend. In his weakened state, he was far easier to fend off. But the next week he came with the wolves. It was a smaller pack then but we were unprepared. Since then, he has come once every week, terrorizing our simple village though I suspect he will return sooner than later.”

“My guild is three days away” Marco said thoughtfully “even if I leave now, I would still have to convince them to pool the resources together to fight this threat and travel back. At a very minimum I return in a week but why do you believe he will attack soon?”

“You, my dear hunter, are a toy to him” The captain spoke simply “He is a cruel and manipulative creature. He would slaughter us to draw you to his castle and quicken your return.”

“I should’ve never came” Marco murmured guiltily

The captain placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder “You did not know. You cannot fault yourself for such a thing. We can only do what we must.”

“Is there anyone who can assist me? I wasn’t exactly prepared to fight a vampire lord.”

“My guard are strong, brave warriors but we cannot leave the town undefended and I doubt the villagers would be so eager to wield weapons against the dead.”

The silence was thick, thoughts swirled in Marco’s head. A vampire count would be an undertaking of its own but a pack of werewolves…..

“Are you prepared to sell your soul hunter?”

Marco stared quizzically at the captain

The captain shifted uneasily “…There are two….women…in the forest that may be able to assist you…for a price.”

Marco caught the subtle contempt laced in the man’s voice “Not a fan I take it?”

“Witches” the captain said straight to the point “They live deep in the forest. Unholy beings with unnatural magic. We avoid them at all costs but if you wish to rid this place of the vampyre, they may be your only hope.”

“I’ve worked with stranger” Marco admitted “and I take it since everyone avoids these witches, everyone knows where to find them?”

The captain clenched his fist tightly.

“That is more homey than I’d expected” Marco told himself as he stood in front of the witches hut.

It was a simple hut made of wood and straw. A cozy light slipped out of the door frame as strange charms hung from the roof, swaying gently in the breeze.

As the young hunter made his way closer, the door swung open invitingly almost like it knew he was coming.

“Well…that’s not foreboding at all” Macro shook his head while he made his way inside “not in the slightest.”

“It wasn’t meant to be dearie but you’ve had a long night.” A friendly older voice called out to him.

“One you seem to be well aware of.” Marco answered as he finally entered the abode.

The interior of the hut was small but loving. A fire place in the corner, kitchen opposite side. A desk with several blank scrolls and books, strange, foreign plants and materials kept away in small drawers near a large cauldron and through the cracked door leading to another room, Marco spotted two humble beds.

The woman sat by the roaring fire place, a leather bound book sitting in her lap as she peered at Marco through her reading glasses.

She was a tiny woman, shorter than he to be sure. Her eyes were grayish purple color that gleamed kindly. Her skin was pale and her long poofy teal hair ran down her back. Two red spades graced her cheeks (witch marks Marco remembered). She wore a long purple dress with gray gloves and simple black footwear with purple socks. She looked more like someone’s mother than a powerful spell caster but Marco was not fooled.

“Take a seat.” The woman gestured to the chair across from her.

“Thank you” Marco nodded amicably as he dropped into the chair ungracefully

“Would you fancy a bit of tea? Or perhaps some coffee?”

Marco shook his head “I rather not.”

“Wary I see.”

“offended?”

The woman chuckled “not at all! It is expected when one wanders the forest. Dark, dangerous things live out here.”

“Since you know all about me, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

“of course. My name is Eclipsa.” the woman revealed “I am humble witch and nothing more Mr. Diaz.”

“How long have you been watching me?” Marco asked politely.

“Since you entered the forest of course.” Eclipsa gave a friendly smile “Can’t have strange man wandering about especially a hunter. Thank for you easing Nora. She was a good woman.”

“I was doing my job. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“So your words say yet your heart speaks otherwise. Helping a village is rather sweet of you.”

“It was foolhardy” Marco replied bitterly.

“Nevertheless sweet.” Eclipsa pressed “One does not cancel the other. Actions can be a multitude of things.”

Marco glanced about the home “The villagers don’t like or trust you.”

Eclipsa gasped mockingly “I would’ve never guessed such a thing! I kid of course. I am well aware of the villagers hatred of me but I wouldn’t harm them. Not like that vampiric friend of yours.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t paid you a visit.”

“He tried.” the witch sipped her tea “But he quickly found out that was a very unwise choice. He’s avoided me since though I suspect he’s planning his revenge.”

Marco opened his mouth to continued when the door opened once again and a cheerful voice called out “Granny, I’m back!”

In walked the cloaked figure from before, a basket of colorful flowers hanging from her arm as she pulled back her hood. A long, flowing blonde braided mane tumbled free and Marco was momentarily awestruck by the young woman.

Her eyes were a sky blue with childish and rather endearing skulls as her witchmarks. She wore a black short sleeve blouse with pink trim and long flowing black skirt that stopped at her ankles. She wore practical mud covered work boots and the typical witches hat with a conical crown and wide brim. Hanging off the tip of her headgear was a home made stitched heart that gave her a rather adorable quality.

She took one step in, took notice of their guest (he knew she recognized him based on how wide her eyes had gotten) but never skipped a step as she nervously greeted Marco.

“Hello stranger I’ve never seen before!” Star gave a tense bow “W-what brings you to our humble…”

“Star” Eclipsa cut in “I know you went to the village.”

“Whaaaaaat?” the woman replied in a deadpanned, not so convincing tone “Me? The village? Nooookay I’m sorry but there was a fire. Screams! And they weren’t directed at us for once”

“Star, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know but….”

Eclipsa sighed “I know you want to go but it’s safer for you here. Now, we have a guest.”

“Right….oh. Oh!” Star pivoted on her heels and faced the hunter “May I offer you some food? Perhaps a drink?”

“No thanks” Marco softly waved his hand “Your grandmother offered me but thank you all the same.”

“You are welcome.”

“And thank you for saving my life.”

Star’s cheeks took on a pink hue as she gave a casual smirk “It was my pleasure. I mean I couldn’t just let them eat you! Well I guess I could’ve but it didn’t seem right.”

“Admittedly it wouldn’t have been a good day for me. Not fond of being a chew toy.” Marco chuckled.

Star giggled cutely “I don’t think anyone is.”

The two shared a small smile before a cough knocked them out of their stupor.

“Mr. Diaz.” Eclipsa gave a knowing grin at Marco’s reddened cheeks “I am aware why you have come and I am afraid I cannot assist you.”

Marco’s shoulders sagged in defeat “Without your help, I won’t be able to kill the vampire.”

“Perhaps but I am not a fan of needless conflict. I am just an old woman who wishes to live in peace.”

Marco sighed tiredly.

“Star, on the other hand, will be more than eager to join your quest.”

“Yeah!” Star nodded in agreement “I totally would.” She paused, finally processing what was said “Wait, I would? I mean yeah but you never…”

“I never let you go unsupervised my dear” Eclipsa explained “You are quite reckless.”

“For the last time that sprite startled me! The fire was not my fault.” Star quickly chimed in.

“Regardless how a fire did or did not spontaneously burst into existence matters not.” The older witch ignored Star’s comments “You will guide Marco and assist in his quest. You were planning on doing so anyway.”

The younger witch said nothing

“I know you dislike Rictavio far more than I but you cannot simply just attack a vampire. They are not like other creatures and to recklessly assault one will not end well. So better to send you with a trained hunter than have you unwisely sneak off on your own and get yourself killed or worse, turned.”

“Me? Killed? Turned?” Star scoffed at the idea “C'mon granny, I can handle myself.”

“Your grandmother is right.” Marco spoke up as he rose to his feet “Vampires are not to be trifled with so casually.”

“Actually she is my ninth great granddaughter” Eclipsa corrected Marco “It’s simply easier to call me Granny Eclipsa.”

Marco stared in disbelief “Just rolls off the tongue huh?”

Eclipsa let out a small laugh “You say great nine times and see how eager you are to do so again. So Mr. Hunter, I shall allow my Star to guide you. In exchange, you must ensure her safe return to me.”

“You have my promise.”

“Don’t you want to hear an or else? For dramatic effect?” Eclipsa rose an eyebrow.

“You are a powerful and educated witch. I am well aware what will happen if I do not fulfill my promise.”

Eclipsa gave a joyful smile “It is so refreshing to talk in such a straight forward manner. I do hope you survive. Such a nice lad. Well off with you two.”

Marco and Star looked at one another “What?”

Marco and Star stood outside with the same shell shock expression on their faces as the hut door closed behind them.

“So…is this what getting kicked out of a house is like?” Star joked.

“It feels familiar” Marco admitted “though most of the time I’m being tossed out a window. It’s nice to go through the door for once.”

“I don’t think that’s what windows are for….”

Marco shrugged “I would like to point out I never said I went willingly.”

“Why would you?” Star nudged him playfully “That’s way too much work.”

Marco tried to suppress a smile but it ended up spilling onto his face anyway.

“So, ready to take down a vampire?” Star asked curiously

“Not really but lead on witchy woman.”

“Okay but only because you would get so loooooost.”

Marco and Star stumbled out of the bushes. Marco wildly slashed and thrust his blade into whatever was chasing them as Star let out a frantic battle cry, flames pouring out of her palms.

The creature snarled in annoyance, taking one last swipe at the witch.

“Watch out!” Marco cried, pushing Star out of the way just in time for a large scaly  claw to narrowly miss her head.

“Back! BACK I SAY!” Star yelled, arcane energy crackling between her fingers.

The creature knew better than to pursue. It snorted before retreating into the thicket.

Marco and Star laid on the ground, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her frame.

“I told you it was a dragon.” Marco scolded gently.

“Nah” Star shook her head “its got to be a salamander. Those things get huuuuge out here.”

“It breathed fire!”

“And your point is?”

“It wasn’t on fire. Fire salamanders always set themselves on fire!”

“What? No, that’s not how they work”

“I studied them! I fought one! I know how they work.”

“Psst, clearly your books are wrong.”

“Clearly you can’t tell a salamander from a dragon!”

“Aren’t they in the same family?”

Marco opened his mouth before stopping dead in his tracks “I…don’t know actually.”

“We should find out.” Star jumped to her feet and offered a hand to Marco.

He shook his head as he gripped it tightly and allowed his partner to lift him to his feet.

“So this is the castle….” Marco whispered “Well fuck.”

The castle stood high above their heads surrounded by cliffs. While it towered in the distance when Marco first saw it, now it loomed over them, impossibly large. Time ravaged banners fluttered helplessly in the winds, the ancient stone still sturdy and well built and a lonely road spiraled around the mountain was the only visible path. Any hopes of catching the count unaware were an impossibility.

“…Looks like we’re going to have to walk up” Marco murmured to himself, still lost in his thoughts. There must’ve been a way to some how reach the castle unnoticed.

“Well duh” Star rolled her eyes “It leads to the front door! How else are we supposed to get in? A window? Psst, those are waaaay too high up.”

“I was kinda hoping to get in unseen” Marco said “I don’t like the idea of Rictavio having time to set up for us. Can’t you fly us up or something?”

“I am a witch, not a bird. Besides the spell would only last ten minutes if I use it on the both of us and there’s no way we’re going all the way up there in that time. Come on, just take the path before you. The sooner we kick this vampire’s ass, the sooner everyone is safe.”

“Star” Marco shook his head “I don’t think you’re understanding the problem here. Vampires are powerful creatures. Even magic would have a hard time piercing their unearthly nature. We can’t just walk up to him and go ‘hey we’re here to kill you! Stand still please.'”

“Sure we can” Star waved off Marco’s comment “I’ll just sunbeam him and that’ll be that.”

“We need to be more discreet” Marco argued

“We need to launch an all out attack!” Star countered

“Recklessly charging is going to get us killed!”

“Recklessly charging has always worked for me!”

“How?!”

“I’m a witch!”

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

“You don’t make any sense!”

“Star, that literally makes no sense.”

“Well” Star turned on her heel and faced Marco directly “Make sense then!”

“Fine!” Marco shouted “Duck now!”

Star blinked in confusion “Wait, what?”

Marco dropped low to the ground, pulling Star downwards with him as a massive wolf leapt at them from the shadows, his jaw biting into thin air.

Marco drew his sliver sword but Star was faster on the uptake. She gestured to the wolf, her skulls glowing with magical energy.

The wolf struggled against some unseen force, muscles stiffening as they were frozen in place by Star’s spell.

Marco quietly stabbed the still, silent creature, holding his blade until it fell limp before him.

“Whew. Good acting Star.” Marco gave a grateful smile.

“Umm….” Star looked back and forth uneasily “yeah…was totally aware he was there.”

“Hey, you didn’t tell me you could restrain monsters.”

“Well you didn’t tell me…umm…..yeah!”

Marco shook his head as his eyes fell upon the wolf’s corpse, began forming in his mind.

“Hey Star…..can you make disguises?”  

[jcabrera35]

Happy Early Halloween (Starcoween!!) Couldn’t wait anymore. This is once again a throwback to Hungry Larry, except this is post-cleaved and they’re 16 now (ex. Star and Marco are taller and have more of a build + Star’s cheeks have skull stickers, they aren’t cheek-marks). Now for the bad news =(. I’m not going to be posting art for a little while. My closest friend is gone atm and I’ve lost all motivation to continue Starco Moments at this time. Please understand, since my friend has been the only thing holding me together during this awful year.

[mrevaunit42]

Marco’s Corpse Bride (Starcoween, Corpse Bride AU)

Hello everyone! Mr.E here with the first of my starcoween stories (Starcoween was a holiday event i made up to write slightly darker stories during Halloween but i missed it this year and i still wanted to write some so here we are). Today’s story is the winner of the poll and inspired by @disney-n-stuff corpse bride au drawings. if you have not check them out, you should they are awesome!

So it’s the corpse bride. I mean it’s not a one to one. I cut off some parts, rewrote dialogue, added my own stuff and fit as much of Disney-n-stuff’s version of the story in here as I could. Also this is not the full version. I purposely left out the ending so you all could fill in how you want to this story to end and I won’t be giving this a proper end either. I mean I kinda hinted at an ending where jarco and starco both win but like i said, i wanted you to fill in your own ending. 

So that’s it aside for a very special thank you to my good friend @hains-mae who really did something amazing for this story. She made one epic cover page that is featured below (she’s taking commissions people *cough cough* just saying) that I am really grateful for. Thanks mae!

That’s it for me, I need to go work on the next nova chapter and Monster Hunter au part 1 which was the second highest voted from the straw poll (thank you so much for voting btw I really appreciate the help) have an awesome week and I hope you enjoy the story!

Notification squad: @artgirllullaby @ladyxgilex @hipster-rapunzel @thefandombytes @minthia-ren @isolated-frequencies @nerdymetalhead

Marco sighed tiredly, the muffled yet thick twangs of an out of tune piano floated sadly from beyond the door frame yet sleep eluded the young man.

He rose to a sitting position and folded the moth eaten blanket that his hosts so graciously gave him to sleep with. It was faded and worn with the odd hole here and there but Marco was grateful for it all the same. Once upon a time it must've been so elegant, so revered among its owners. Marco's family would've had saved many months to purchase such a treasure but down here it was as unnecessary as it was old.

The dead had no need for such things....

Marco stood, the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders as he began to pace the room anxiously.

If you had told Marco that in one day's time (Oh lord it had only been a day hasn't it?) he would've been betrothed to his childhood crush without warning, foolishly wandered into the forest as a queasy and rather humiliating mess and subsequently asked the hand of a corpse bride in marriage accidentally only to be whisked away to the land of the dead.....well he would've called you a rather loony lot.

Yet that is exactly how the still living young man's day began and has currently ended.

Marco awoke the same as he did every other day: Cranky, sleepy and cold.

The Diaz's were a simple, humble middle class family. They lived within their means and the trio were content if not comfortable. Marco's father Mr. Diaz worked as the owner of a modest shop in the heart of town and while the larger, more well off family held an iron grip on the market, Rafael still made reasonable profits. Marco's mother Angie was a seamstress and thanks to a vast network of friends and friends of friends, she often patched and sewed for those who were not afraid to part with their money.  Marco himself had just turned 18 a few months ago and while his parents hadn't spoken of it, he was expected to seek his fortune and secure his future...by the way of marriage.

Marco felt ill at the idea of marriage. It wasn't that he didn't want to get married. The problem, rather, was he pinning for a specific woman to marry. A woman he had never even spoken to in his entire life: Miss Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Miss Thomas was the daughter of a local fisherman and a baker. She was a few months younger than Marco (Her birthday had been yesterday if he recalled correctly) though her family was marginally better off than Marco's (only by slim margin).

He known of her since childhood and while the two would occasional cross paths within the city and attended the same events, Marco could not bring himself to speak to the lovely Jackie. The few times he attempted such a thing either ended in an awkward, tense silence or him droning and babbling about nonsensical topics that ranged from the differences between a major and minor key to the rather disgusting digestive systems of livestock.

Needless to say Marco's chances with Miss Thomas were looking rather grim and while there were several other wonderful women in town, none carried the spark that lit his cheeks ablaze like she did.

Marco groggily made his way downstairs, the dreary weather of his beloved hometown the same as it had been 95% of the time: Cloudy, cold and bleak.

Marco sensed something was off when he found his parents speaking in tense, hushed voices as he approached the kitchen. When he entered the room, the conversation died at once and their gaze shifted from each other to squarely on him, their smiles well meaning but tight. Bad news it seems and bad news that would directly affect Marco.

“Morning” Marco muttered carefully, eying their uneaten food warily “Is something the matter? You both seem rather.....serious.”

“Mijo” Rafael began quietly “We have some news to share...with you.”

Marco nodded like he understood (he really didn't) “I see. And what news is that?”

“As you know mijo my shop has been getting a lot of new customers.”

“Mhm”

“And I thought” Rafael went on sheepishly “It might be wise...to...merge my business....with someone else's....”

Marco blinked in confusion, unsure where this conversation was heading. Initially he was under the impression someone in the family had died but this wildly veering off into  a rather surprising turn of events.

“I...see?” he was unable to keep the confusion out of his response.

Rafael fidgeted guiltily though his son was still unsure why. His father was expanding his business, that was good news....right? Then why were his parents acting like they were planning for his funeral?

“What your father is trying to say” Angie spoke up “is that he has found someone who is willing to cooperate and share resources...under...a certain condition.”

“What condition?” Marco asked slowly.

Marco stood before the altar, still awestruck and dazed from the sudden revelation that he was to marry his father's future business partner's daughter.

The church was drafty as always with its muted unassuming gray brick walls and pale brown pews.

Marco was dressed in his Sunday best: an old, elegant black suit once owned by his abuelo and handed down from Diaz to Diaz for special occasions. Marco himself added a pale, faded white collared shirt with a dark red vest and the most valuable of his possessions, a jet black ascot tie tucked perfectly within his outfit.  

His parents were more informal in their choice of attire but that was only because today was the rehearsal rather than the actual wedding.

Marco tried to keep his breath steady but his stomach churned unhappily. The ground swayed uneasily under his feet. The walls seemed to close in on him, the air stale and stuffy despite the frigid weather that always blanketed the town as the realization that he was to be married to someone he's never even met! HE WAS GOING TO MARRY SOMONE HE HAS NEVER EVEN LAID EYES UPON!

The old church door creaked as an icy breeze filled the halls for brief moment before slamming closed with a dull thud.

Marco could hear his parents gleefully greet the bride's family, content tones and friendly banter filling the once silent halls.

The unexpected groom tried to will his body to follow his parents example but his nerves were frayed and despite his best attempts, he simply remained frozen in fear as soft, timid footsteps approached him.

He could feel the presence of someone behind where  he stood, waiting and watching for his greeting though if it was his future wife or his future in laws the young man couldn't hazard a guess.

Marco gulped down as much air as he could. He breathed slowly, rigidly turning in an attempt to make up for previously rude behavior.

“I am very sorry” Marco apologized, pivoting on his heels with all the effort he could muster “It's a bit drafty you see and I....I...I....I....”

His heart skidded to halt, his cheeks burned with an intensity that matched the glow of the sun as his eyes laid upon the last person he ever expected to see and the one whom he longed for.

Miss Jackie Lynn Thomas stood there, hair wrapped up in a neat yet enchanting bun (her blue streak visible) and a gentle smile danced on her lips. She wore one of the simple dresses she preferred when attending to errands in the city (Evidently it seems Marco was the only one who did not receive the notice that casual wear was allowed for the rehearsal) but to Marco she was as breathtaking up close as she had been from afar.

“Good morning Mr. Diaz” Jackie gave a polite curtsey.

Marco chuckled dumbly in reply “Oh it's just Marco. Mr. Diaz is my father.”

Marco mentally flinched upon realizing the words that escaped his lips but his ears only grew red when he heard Jackie giggle in response.

“As you wish...Marco.” She answered playfully.

Marco rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his anxiety growing each passing moment “Did you know that owls are often considered an ill omen in many cultures?”

“I did not”

Marco gave another timid laugh “yeah...it's silly really. I mean they're just birds! They go hoot, you know? Hoot hoot!”

Marco died the moment he began flapping his arms. He wish he could slap himself but he was afraid to appear more crazed to his future spouse than he already was.

But Jackie nodded as if it was the most interesting thing she had heard all morning “How fascinating Marco.”

“R-really?”

Jackie gave him a soft smile while she nodded in agreement.

“I see everyone is present?” The dull, gravelly voice of the priest snapped everyone out of their respective conversations

“Si” Rafael quickly made his way to the young couple's side “ everyone is present.”

“Then shall we proceed?” The priest looked thoughtfully towards Marco and Jackie.

“Of course Father” Jackie said respectfully.

“proceed?” Marco questioned “Proceed with what?”

“The rehearsal” The priest replied “You do know the vows, correct?”

“I...umm vows?”

“Yes” The priest continued “The traditional vows that every groom speaks to their brides. The vows that bind you to each other as husband and wife. The vows that are spoken at every wedding. Those vows.”

“Riiiiight” Marco chuckled “Of course you meant those vows! I confused myself for a moment, believed you were speaking about some other...umm vows! But yes I do remember the vows. The vows I must speak as to marry Jackie...the vows I shall speak after I...I....I receive the ring! Oh no!” Marco's face fell into mock worry “Darn, I must've left the ring at home! Clumsy me and my forgetfulness. Drat, I suppose we'll have to postpone the rehearsal. Can't practice my vows without a....”

Marco sighed as his father produced a ring from within his vest pocket

“Thanks dad” Marco said with the most deadpan voice he could muster.

“Anything for you mijo.”

“Now” the priest loomed over the young man menacingly “The vows.”

“R-right...” Marco coughed timidly “The...vows....I.....Marco Ubaldo Diaz.....”

The old rotten trees of the forest swayed back and forth as a chilly breeze howled through, the crunching of the dried dead leaves filled the air as Marco angrily and embarrassingly stomped his way deeper into the woods.

“I didn't know the vows” he scolded himself, pulling at his neat hair in frustration “of course I didn't know the vows! How could I know the vows when I barely found out I was getting married 10 minutes before! And dad had a ring?! DAD HAD A RING!? How long had they known about this little arrangement?! Why couldn't they tell me ahead of time?”

Marco let loose his emotions into a powerful yell but hardly a sound was heard as his voice was swallowed whole by dense forest.

“Okay Diaz” Marco told himself, taking a deep breath to relax himself “You're getting married to the girl of your dreams and you are utterly confused by this strange turn of events. That's okay! That's...normal? But you will make the best of it! You messed up the rehearsal but not the wedding! That's...something.”

Jackie's smile flashed into his mind.

“Vows...” Marco whispered as he pulled the ring from his coat pocket “Vows....everyone knows them. They are spoken at every wedding....”

Marco closed his eyes, clutching the tiny band tightly in his grasp.

His mind began to fill with thoughts of the wedding, of those who would be attending: His parents and Jackie's would be there because they had to. Ferguson and Al, two of Marco's best friends, would no doubt show though he was certain the promise of free food would lure them, not the actual event itself. Janna may catch wind of Jackie's attempt to marry her favorite target though he suspected she would behave herself for the sake of her best friend. And Jackie.....Jackie would be there, looking as lovely as the day Marco first laid eyes on her.....she would be waiting by the altar, patiently for him....

the young man took a breath, his nerves calm and steely as the words poured of his mouth.

“With this hand, I will cut off your...” Marco flinched “no no, that's...that's so wrong. Umm with this.....candle? Was there a candle? I'm remembering a candle but I do not remember why I am remembering a candle. Why is there a...am I suppose to light her candle with mine? I am almost certain the ceremony involves a....OH! Yes, there is a candle. Umm with this...candle? Candle. Candle! I shall....light...light.....light...your mother ablaze? That's more than likely....”

Marco opened his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips. The trees towered over him, swaying back and forth under the gentle yet cold breeze while their shade basked him in darkness.

“With this hand” Marco gestured high into the air “I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine.”

Marco strolled confidently over to the nearest tree trunk, bowing respectfully towards it “Mrs. Thomas, you look absolutely lovely this evening”

Marco nudged at another tree with a sly “What's that Mr. Thomas? Call you dad? Well I suppose if you are alright with it.”

“With this candle? Candle!” Marco repeated, tearing a branch off to use as a makeshift prop “I will light your way in darkness.”

“With this ring” Marco glanced at the simple, plain brand that lay in the palm of his hand “I ask you....to be mine.” and in one fluent movement, he slipped the token of his love onto a finger-like branch.

The wind moaned softly yet Marco made no motion to retrieve the accessory, uncertainty and fear swirling about his head: were the vows correct? They must've been because those were the only ones he could remember.

"Okay" he told himself with a nod " That was perfect and all I have to do is perform it the exact same way with Jackie.

Jackie....

Marco let out a terrified whimper

Marco groaned loudly, clutching at his hair tightly "What am I thinking?! I can't do this in front of Jackie!

Marco sighed disappointingly " She's...she's...and I'm....and I.....I talked about owls! OWLS! I hooted. Who does that?!”

Marco caught the dull gleam of the ring as it swayed teasingly in the breeze, the solitary  cawing of a crow echoed throughout the empty forest.  

“And give me back my ring tree branch!" Marco tugged at the ring but the branch refused to let go, its gripped tight and firm.

“I'm losing to a tree” Marco murmured sadly “I am losing to an inanimate object.....This can't get much worse....”

A chill ran down Marco's spine as, without warning, the branches curled around his wrist.

“Oh? The branches seem to be grabbing at me.” Marco laughed for a moment before the weight of his statement hit him full force “THE BRANCHES ARE GRABBING ME!?”

Marco pulled away but the branches held fast, its grip on the young man growing tighter and tighter with each moment.

“LET ME GO NATURE!” Marco shouted as he frantically tugged at his wrist “I DID NOT MARRY YOU! I WAS JUST PRACTICING annnnd I can't believe I am actually having this conversation....”

The trapped young man planted his feet firmly on the dusty forest floor and prepared to throw his weight backwards in an attempt to free himself when the branches snapped and freed their grip Marco who was thrown back full force.

Marco tumbled to the ground, his suit torn and ripped from the various roots and low branches that littered the forest floor.

“Well that was unexpected.” Marco muttered to himself, rubbing the tension out of his neck.

He rose to his feet, wiping the dirt and any leaves that managed to glue themselves onto his clothing. This was absolutely disastrous. There's no way he could....

Marco felt his blood chill as the earth before him cracked open and without warning, a thin, pale blue bruised arm reached upwards, its hand grasping wildly at the air.

“Oh dear....” Marco murmured, his stomach groaning unhappily as a skeleton arm reached out from the depths of the earth itself and planted itself firmly on the dirt covered ground “Yeah, I think it's time I call it a day.”

The terrified man broke into a fevered sprint, wincing in pain as he collided with the odd branch and tree trunk in his mad dash to freedom.

“the church” he comforted himself “the church is nearby! If I can make it, surely I'll be safe.”

Fear bit at his resolve as the trees seem to elongate before his eyes, towering over him in strange, unnatural angles.

North was West, East was West, South was North. Despite the countless times he had ventured safely into the forest alone, in this moment he had never been so lost and confused. the soft crunching of dry leaves could be barely heard over his heavy breathing as something closed the distance between itself and him.  

Marco flailed wildly in surprise as his foot caught a tree root and he suddenly tripped forward, tumbling and skidding across the ground. Everything ached but terror and adrenaline dulled the pain. He scampered to his feet, unsteadily swaying back and forth as he saw the old stone bridge stretched out before him and beyond the lonely church beckoning him in the distance.  

Marco hardly crossed the bridge when the soft patter of footsteps filled his ears and despite the fright that enthralled him, curiosity called to him. He paused and turned to gaze upon his purser.

He was unaware of the gasp that escaped his lips as he found himself staring at the figure of a woman no older than he....maybe.

Her long flowing blonde hair was done up in an elegant pun with blue butterfly clips and a wedding veil adorning her head. Her eyes were a pale sky blue that seemed to pierce past his mortal shell and into his very soul.  Her outfit of choice was a torn, ripped strapless sleeveless wedding dress with white roses that had seen far better days The skirt split open at the bottom and revealed she was wearing boot-like shoes with heels. At least that's what Marco thought they were. But what had made Marco stop, what made him gasp was not her choice of attire but rather her appearance.

She was deathly thin, her skin a pale blue as if air no longer flowed through her body. One arm was nothing more than bone and while the other still possessed what Marco assumed to be skin, her fingers were long and skeletal. The most curious aspect, however, were the pale pink hearts that covered either cheek upon her face. She was hauntingly beautiful and she was slowly approaching the trapped man.

Marco wish he could say he did something amazing. He wish he could tell some extraordinary tale of heroism and bravery in the face of danger, that he fended off the ghostly beauty, that he was safe in and sound in the church with nary a fearful thought in his mind.

He wish but he'd be lying....

The truth of the matter was as the unearthly specter cupped his face with her surprisingly soft, warm bony fingers, his ring glimmering in the darkness at him, he fainted. Just up and passed out.

The land of the dead was a rather strange place if Marco was going to be honest. For one, he was still alive in such a location and for something that people talked about with such anxiety and dread, it was a rather lovely location.

It was no different than the local pub within the city though it felt brighter, more joyful than any establishment Marco had been to (not that he would've gone to such places of ill repute of course.)

The varied dead from all walks of life and ages long passed laughed and sung. They drank (which was strange in itself) and they told stories of their former lives, not with a tone of regret and longing but with one of satisfaction and contentment.

Well they did before Marco ran a small Napoleonic character through with a sword and began waving the tiny impaled man as some sort of deterrent.

He was quickly caught up to speed by a rather charming, bowler hat wearing, one eyed, strange jawed skeleton named Bonejangles who sang a delightful yet slightly uneven tune in a style Marco had never heard of before. One that told the story of his undead bride.

Her name in life was Star Butterfly. She was peasant girl who did not have much but always gave what she could. She was set to marry Tom Lucitor, the adoptive son of a local merchant and while the two had not exactly gotten off to the warmest of starts, the two gradually fell in love and made plans for their wedding day. Until Tom's adoptive father Toffee had gotten wind of Star's less than noble background. Father and son argued and Tom had decided he was going to marry Star regardless of what his father wanted even if that meant leaving his fortune behind and running away with his bride.

Toffee did not take that well and his revenge was a cruel as it had been cold. He forged  a letter in Tom's name asking Star to meet him deep in the woods where they would elope and as Star waited, alone and unsuspecting, Toffee murdered her.

Her soul did not rest, however, and she waited for the day her greatest wish would come true: To become a bride.

She waited. She waited decades upon decades, through scorching sun and freezing night in her makeshift grave for someone to speak the vows she's always longed to hear.

Which was today it turns out when Marco foolishly recited them and placed his ring upon her finger.

How someone could mange to fit such a large and rather deep lore into a three minute song was pretty impressive and while he wasn't sure how one skeleton could use another as musical instrument, he had to admit that was a sight he would not soon forget.

So Marco's proposal was valid and he was now engaged to lovely corpse of a woman (a statement that really brought rather conflicting emotions to the young groom.) and while he wasn't completely sold, he had to admit Star had this energy that was intoxicating.

Despite her tragic back story, she was vibrant and cheerful. As she readjusted herself to the world of the living (or was it the living dead?) once more, she greeted old and new friends with an eager fever. She asked countless question about everyone was doing, what she had missed as she slept. Laughs, jokes, unnecessary battle cries and fighting stances. It was...nice. For someone so dead, Star breathed life.

And since things were going so well, naturally Marco had to mess it all up.  

It was a tiny lie. A tiny, harmless white lie that shouldn't have hurt anyone....except it had and the person he'd hurt was his new wife.

He hadn't actually expected Star to readily agree to his casual comment about visiting Jackie and letting her know about the new situation he found himself.  Of course she meant it as informing his friends and family about their future wedding while Marco saw it as a chance to find a way to escape the Land of the dead and figure out how to break his oath to the undead bride.

In retrospect, barging into Jackie's home, rambling in a panicked, stuttering mess was probably not the best idea especially given the current circumstances and once the weight of his choice began to dawning on him, his voice slowed, words ceased to flow out of his lips and the crippling shyness began to grip him tightly. What was once a fantastical story about how he married a tree branch and found himself being serenaded by a deep voice skeleton became a murmur about how it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be before finally drifting into an awkward silence once he realized he was currently alone with his fiance.

She was as beautiful as ever but the reality began to creep up on the awestruck groom as he realized she was dressed in a wedding gown. A wedding gown she was supposed to use for their wedding.

It was traditional as most outfits but Jackie was absolutely angelic in it: A modest yet well kept wedding veil tied to her bun. The fabric that covered her neck and shoulders held simple ruffles, the sleeves were long enough to cover her bare arms but Marco could see her exposed fingers reaching out for him in concern. The bottom of the attire was bell shaped with layers upon layers of cloth cascading downwards like waves upon the ocean and like Marco, Jackie had decided to wear her most prized possession for their union:  a small belt hugged her waist composed of fine string and beads that held her beloved sea shell in the center of the dress.

“Marco?” she asked softly, approaching the shell shocked groom slowly “Marco, I don't understand....what are you talking about? You speak of the dead and corpses singing and marrying trees? And you seem pale....paler than usual.”

“Oh!” Marco snapped out of his stupor “No no no. I didn't marry a tree, I married a corpse that was buried in the ground whose fingers resembled tree branches. I-it's...ah....very, very easy thing to mistake...or....not believe....”

“I....I'm not sure I follow.”

Marco and Jackie jumped as, without warning, the door flew open and in walked Star, her pleasant, polite smile melting into shock and anger.

Looking back, Marco could only fathom how bad it had seemed at the time: Here he was, a groom Star had been waiting for all of her dead life for and he was talking to another woman dressed in a wedding attire.

And instead of trying to clear up the situation when Star revealed that she was in fact Marco's bride, he had dug his grave (so to speak). It turns out the dead are not fond of people reminding them they are no longer among the living or that there were other women that he was supposed to marry.

And for someone who hadn't been alive in such a long time, Star was rather strong. She effortlessly dragged him away from the home and as Marco called to Jackie one last time, a swarm of crows blinded his sight.

The following scolding was no doubt the worst moment in his life: Star was nearly in hysterics, alternating between anger and sorrow as it all came forth: his lies, his broken promises, his real intentions and if he truly cared for his corpse bride.

He said nothing. Courage had left him and in its void, shame filled its place. Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders as he realized Star had feelings and he hurt her in ways far worse than her death had.

Star finally stopped and sent him away, too distraught to continue the conversation further and thus we are where we began: A human consumed by his guilt and his bride, pained by his actions.

Marco sat up in his bed. He hadn't meant for all this to turn out this way and hadn't the slightest idea how to fix it all. Star was far more fun and wonderful than he'd expected and his moment of deceit cost something he was unaware he valued.

The once lively, cheery tune of the untuned piano was now somber and melancholy and while Marco knew it was simply a song composed in a minor key, he couldn't help but feel sadness at each note held.  

Marco took a deep, calming breath. He needed to fix this. He wasn't acting out of malice but fear wasn't an excuse either.

He made his way out of the bedroom and peeked fearfully into the next room.

The Ball and Socket pub was empty save two occupants: Bonejangles, leaning lazily on his stool and Star, head laid against the aged wood of the piano, her skeletal fingers dancing across the ivory keys.

“Star?”

She made no indication she heard him as she continued to play the same note over and over again while she refused to meet his gaze.

“Look....” Marco began slowly “I....I know you're mad at me....”

“No kidding” She muttered sarcastically “I let my fiancee go invite people to our wedding and I find you with another woman.”

“Well...I mean...”

“SHE WAS WEARING A WEDDING DRESS MARCO!” Star glared “Why was she wearing a wedding dress?”

“Umm...” Marco awkwardly paused “Well....”

“Were you planning on marrying her? After you proposed to me?”

“...that's not quite....”

Star let out a defeated sigh “Look Marco, that hurt. A lot.”

“...I know....”

“I mean...” Star uneasily said “I get it. She's alive, she's cute, you obviously have history with her..”

“I do?” Marco rose a confused eyebrow “I mean I-I do! If you count staring creepily at her from afar...”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

Star sat up though she still refused to look his way.

Marco inched his way closer under the watchful eye of Bonejangles and took a seat neat to Star.

The air was thick with an awkward silence that Star refused to break and Marco was unsure how to. This situation had wildly span out of his control and for once, the safe kid had no idea how to get out of it. Jackie still made his heart skip but...Star was slowly doing the same.....

Marco sighed, halfheartedly pressing a random key over and over when an idea formed in his mind.

Carefully keeping one eye one Star and the other on the keys, Marco slowly began to play an upbeat duet his parents would often perform at home. His fingers effortlessly ran up and down the upper register of the instrument, the upbeat song filling the air before Marco paused, glancing towards Star in hopes she continue the call and response aspect of the piece.

She did not.

Marco bit his lip nervously, deciding to go on with his next part of the musical piece. He'd never played this particular song before and was rather surprised how naturally it came to him: E to F, F to D with an E sharp chord coming up next measure. Each note rang with a longing twang as he poured his apologizes, his guilt, his heart into this song.

Star did not respond.

Marco felt dejected. His best effort was not enough and no matter how hard he tried, it seems he could never heal the pain he caused Star.

His masterfully playing devolved into playing the same lonesome note over and over as Star once had. He saw why she'd done it: It was oddly therapeutic in a way. An endless repetitive action that numbed the mind and the regret.

Marco blinked as his single note was joined by another and another. Note after note filled the air as Star's skeletal fingers played.

Marco smiled softly as their individual parts forming into a beautiful symphony. When she rose, he followed. When he played a chord, she filled it. And each note brought the two closer into their own world and before they knew it, what had been a few minutes had stretched into hours as Star's hand escaped her wrist and began running across the keys wildly.

“Whoops” she nervously chuckled while Marco caught the escaping appendage “Must've been a bit too enthusiastic.”

“That's okay” Marco muttered, his warm hand in hers as he reattached it to the wrist “I like your enthusiasm. It's fun”

The two shared a small grin

“It's late” Star stood up “I don't need to sleep but you are still alive so off to bed.”

“I don't know how to feel about getting curfews from my wife” Marco snickered as he made his way past.

Star could feel her cold dead heart thump loudly in her ears, a pale blue blush warming her cheeks as she realized what he had said but as she whirled around to speak, Marco had vanished beyond the door frame and a moment later, darkness plunged his room.

She stood, dumbfounded as shame began to pour into her undead body.

“So” croaked Bonejangles “getting cold feet?”

Star scoffed “All of me is cold Bones.”

“That's not what I mean princess.”

“I know...” she frowned thoughtfully “I...I've waited so long...and he's just so...” The pale blush worsen “But I'm stealing him from the living and he's already got fiancee waiting for him.....Can I really just....?”

Bonejangles leapt off the stool “You can't marry the living darling and he ain't dead. That's gotta change.”

Star remained silent.

“Besides” Bonejangles shrugged casually “Most marriage vows break when death does them part.”

Star was unsure what he was getting at “Bones, I don't understand....”

“Just saying” he waved her away “Who says he can't remarry when he gets down here?”

Star pursed her lips as the skeleton's song filled the air, her longing and guilt pulling at her resolve.

[axis3100]

Starcoween (AU of choice)

So with Halloween making it’s way over, I thought that now would be the perfect time to post this story as my AU of choice for @starcoweek2. Now, a little backstory for this before I get started because it’s kinda important. I started writing this a very long time ago after reading reading a short by @mrevaunit42 called ‘Don’t talk to your food’ in his collection of shorts called, ‘There’s always a Star and a hoodie’ and asking myself the question, ‘What would my OC be like in this universe?’ This is what came out, it’s not my best work, but I still dedicate it to you @mrevaunit42.

Marco sat there, propped up against the tree as the hunter pointed his boom stick at him. “Can’t say you didn’t make this an interesting hunt.” The hunter said as he rubbed the bite mark Marco had given him. The hunter did a quick prayer before pulling back the hammer on his weapon. “I’ll give you a moment to make your peace.” Marco stared up into the barrel of the gun before him and remembered the nice explosion it had done the last time it was fired, even if he tried to retaliate, there wouldn’t be much left of him after that thing went off.

 “I’ve made my peace long ago.” Marco replied. “Take the shot.”

 “May the powers that be have mercy on you.” Marco closed his eyes and awaited the end as he began to recount the events that led up to this point.

 Today was supposed to be simple, it was just supposed to be yet another trip to practice hunting for humans, there wasn’t supposed to actually be a human, let alone a monster hunter. It had all started not too long ago, Marco and Star were walking through the forest, just trying to enjoy a moment before they had to pretend to hunt humans when Oscar and company arrived calming that Alfonzo smelt a human nearby. Marco was afraid that he was talking about Star, but as Alfonzo sniffed around the opening, Marco knew that he smelt something, or someone else. Then, out of nowhere, a blast of fire, a shriek of terror, and everyone began running to the bus, everyone that  is, except Oscar, Alfonzo, Ferguson, Star and Marco. The first three thought that they could take him, all charging at him at once only to quickly learn that attacking someone trained to kill monster was a horrible, HORRIBLE idea.  It started with Ferguson, the Frankenstein like monster was tough, but it only took one shot from the hunters hand cannon to blow off a majority of his right arm and nock him to the ground. Alfonzo was next, having nearly reached the hunters neck just before realizing that the hunter had a silver stake that was moments away from impaling the young werewolves’ body. Alfonzo freaked out, nearly doing a backflip to get out of the way before scurrying to Ferguson and throwing him over his shoulder. Alfonzo wouldn’t have gotten far after that, the hunter had pulled out a revolver, no doubt loaded with a silver bullet and had it pointed directly at him, one moment later and the werewolf would be dead, but thanks to a timely intervention by Oscar, the hunter was left with other things to think about aside from the fleeing pair. Oscar had rushed the hinter, but even with the vampires inhuman speed, the hunter was still able to sidestep the vampires attack causing his to go sliding to a stop, a delay that allowed the hunter to drop his revolver and pull out a hand crossbow and Oscar made a mistake, that even the newest of rookie’s would be ashamed of. With the hunter holding two weapons that could ultimately kill a vampire, one being ranged, Oscar rushed straight at him, from the distance he was, he would have had to break every vampire speed record imaginable to get to him before a normal human reacted, let alone a hunter. The hunter fired a crossbow bolt into Oscar’s leg insuring that he would fall, and as he did he plunged the stake right into his stomach, it would have had to be his heart or three more punctures anywhere else to kill him, but Oscar was definitely out of commission and feel the ground crying. With the perceived threats taken care of, the hunter was free to pick up his revolver and reload his hand cannon before pointing it at the crawling vampire. It would have been the end of Oscar, a sad and pathetic end, but soon, the unthinkable happened.

 Marco knew from the start that they were making a very big mistake by taking the hunter head on, hunters had a major disadvantage in almost every category except intelligence, so taking on a bunch of hot headed teenage monsters head on would be nothing more than light homework. What Marco also knew was that there was no way he could get away while carrying Star, he wasn’t strong enough to have inhuman strength, in fact, all he had was his speed, but it would suffice. As soon as Alfonzo picked up Ferguson, Marco made his move, he told Star to run and made his way around the hunter to his blind spot where he would pounce on him and, unfortunately, save Oscar. Marco had it all planed out, the hunter might be smarter, but Marco would take that from him, he would drink as much blood as he could from the hunters neck before the hunter could turn that explosive hand cannon on him, this would stop some of his blood from reaching his brain making it hard for him to focus to say the least, Marco would then use his inhuman speed to stay out of the hunters line of sight making quick attacks to keep the hunter off his balance until he had another opportunity to get at his neck. Wash rinse repeat until the hunter goes down and he saves Star, earns respect from his pears, and gets enough food to last him a whole month. His plan was foolproof, until he actually sank his teeth into the hunters’ neck. The hunters blood tasted of fire, like Marco was drinking water from near a volcano or something and was quickly forced to let go and fall to his knees as he tried to cough it up.

 The hunter surprisingly was almost amused by Marco’s actions, even going so far as to call him clever before shooting a bolt into Marco’s left arm causing him to cry out in pain. It felt like the bolt was laced with some form of poison which slowed Marco down more and more as he tried to escape. Eventually, he had to stop, and was lying against a tree waiting for the end to come.

 ‘At least I saved Star.’ Marco thought to himself as he readied himself for the end. ‘I just wish I could have told her how much I care about her.’ Marco sat there at peace as he ran out of story to recount and found it odd that he was still not dead. “What’s the problem? You need help killing me?” Marco asked as he slowly opened his eyes only to freeze at the sight. Star Butterfly, the very human who he was willing to sacrifice himself to save, was now standing between him in the hunter with her arms outstretched. “Star no!” Marco exclaimed as he tried to get up only to wince from the pain of the bolt that was logged into his arm.

 “If you want him then you’ll have to go through me.” She explained with a leer.

 The hunter rolled his eyes as he lowered his hand cannon and pulled out his revolver. “You really think I have a problem with that? I was about to kill one monster, what makes you think I would have a problem with two? Or did you think I wasted my silver bullet?”

 Star looked at him confused until she remembered that she was still wearing the devil headband that Marco had given her to fit in. “Oh, wait.” She took the headband out of her golden hair and held it out showing that she was in fact, human. “I’m not a demon.”

 The hunter’s mouth dropped open slightly as he looked at her incredulously. After a moment he shook off the confusion and switched back to his boom stick. “I have blanks in my head, not my gun, so please fill them.”

 “I’m human, my name is Star Butterfly and this vampire is my friend Marco.” Star explained in a panic.

 “And my name’s Marcus but those weren’t the blanks I was talking about.” He began. “What are you doing with a class full of Monsters?”

 “Marco saved me from them by helping me blend in.” Star confessed. “I’ve been pretending to be a student ever since.”

 “You didn’t try to run?” Marcus asked.

 “If I did then Marco would be in trouble for another student vanishing, and I couldn’t do that to him after he saved me.”

 Marcus paused for a moment before lowering his weapon, he realized that this vampire was different, but he didn’t know just how different. “I can’t, in good conscious, let you leave with him.”

 “Then don’t.” Marco said as he worked his way to his feet trying to ignore the pain. “You can take her back to her home, can’t you?”

 “Are you serious?” Star asked as she turned around. “If I disappear then they will roast you.”

 “They can’t blame me for a hunter attack.” Marco explained. “I’ve been trying to get you out for a while, this is the best chance we’re going to get. Not to mention they can’t really punish me if I have this.” He motioned to the bolt in his arm.

 “Yeah, you’re actually not going to be able to make it back with that.” Marcus explained. “Laced with garlic and what not so … you’re not getting back to your bus before they leave.”

 Star turned to look at the hunter. “Then … what will happen to him?”

 Marcus shook his head. “Well … if someone else doesn’t find him … the sun will rise eventually.”

 Star stared at Marco worried; there wasn’t much blood coming from the wound, but she knew Marcus was right; Marco was as good as dead if he didn’t get help. She looked back at the hunter then back at Marco, the choice before her clear. She grabbed Marco’s good arm and hoisted it over her shoulder. “What are you doing?” Both the boys asked.

 “You’ve been protecting me since I arrived, I’m not going to repay that by letting you die.”

 Marco sighed in defeat. “And here I was thinking that I didn’t have to worry about keeping you safe anymore.” He said jokingly.

 Star gave him a playful nudge as she looked back at Marcus who didn’t look pleased with what was happening. “I’ve made up my mind, I’m not leaving him.”

 Marcus paused for a moment before cutting them off. “Marco, was it?” He asked. “I just want to make one thing clear, if I ever see you again, and she is not with you, healthy and safe,” He raised his gun, pointed it at a far off tree and pulled the trigger, a flash of fire rocketed from his hand cannon and collided with the tree causing an explosion that annihilating part of it and caused the rest to catch on fire. “Understand?”

 Marco looked at what was left of the tree before looking back at Marcus. “Completely.” He replied.

 “Good.” Marcus turned around and took a few steps before turning back to look at the two of them. “Consider yourself lucky you’re not the first monster I’ve come across that had compassion.”  He turned around and began walking back into the forest.

 “We need to go.” Marco noted as Marcus disappeared. “Miss Skullnick might not want to leave a student behind, but she won’t stay forever.”

 Star put her devil headband back on as the pair made their way back to the bus. When Miss Skullnick saw the pair, she grabbed them before throwing them on the bus and telling the driver that all the students were accounted for and sped off.

 Star and Marco were seated toads the front of the bus as Star looked at Marco’s arm as she watched him try to pull it out to no avail. “You want me to-“

 “Please, and make it quick, there’s a barb.”

 Star looked at bolt and noticed that it was barbed meaning that as soon as she pulled it out, it was going to bleed like crazy when she pulled it out of him. “Are you sure you don’t want a professional to look at it?”

 Marco placed his hands on Star’s causing her heart rate to pick up. “There’s no one else I’d rather have, and don’t worry, I’m not going to die from a little loss of blood.”

 She griped it and with one swift motion, yanked it out causing Marco to release a scream of agony which would have drawn attention were it not for the fact that nearly everyone else in the bus was already staring at the pare.

 “So how did you escape?” Janna asked as she slid next to Marco.

 “Well.” Star began.

 “Star saved me.” Marco interrupted. “The hunter thought that he had done me in wit that last blast that went off, but Star managed to pull me out just in the nick of time.”

 “Uh huh.” Janna said as she glanced up at Star with the faintest hint of jealousy in her stare.

 “It doesn’t matter.” Oscar announced as he stood up with a hand covering the gaping hole in his stomach. “The next time I see that hunter, I’m going to paint the school with his entrails.”

 “Is that before or after you scream like a little girl?” Marco asked earning laughter from the whole bus and a glare from Oscar.

 “Watch your step ‘human’ or I’ll do the same to you.”

 “What are you going to do?” Marco asked. “Bite him? I tried that and it felt like I was drinking straight fire. Then again, what did you do but charge him like an idiot? His bolts were laced with garlick you know, all he had to do was get a clear shot at your heart and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

 Oscar was taken aback while the whole bus marveled at Marco’s come back. “I am not as week as you.” He said as he gripped the bolt in his leg and ripped it out. “Garlic doesn’t harm strong vampires as much as weaklings like you.”

 “Then his stake would have done you in, or is that hole just for show?” Oscar leered at Marco before limping away, the hole in his torso nearly visible from the back. “I guess that answers that question.”

 When the bus finally arrived back at the school Miss Skullnick directed the students out of the bus. “Everyone who is injured report the nurse’s office, everyone else may return to their dorms, I need to report this.”

 The class dispersed as everyone except Star and Marco returned to their doors, Marco had been the only one to actually get hit so the two of them were the only ones on their way to the nurse’s office.

 As they walked Marco could swear that he could hear his heart rate pick up as he look at Star, she had opted to stay with him instead of the chance to return home just to save his life. “Hey Star.” Marco choked out.

 “Yeah?” Star replied as she looked to her vampire best friend.

 Marco could feel his throat start to swell up as if someone had just fed him garlic. “I wanted … to thank you.”

 “For what?”

 “Staying.” Marco replied as his throat continued to dry up. “I would be dead right now … or at least I would be stuck in a forest waiting for … for …” Marco began to feel his throat begin to shut as he became more sluggish as he began to feel faint. “I … I didn’t think … I would get the chance to-“ Marco wasn’t able to finish his sentence before collapsing.

 “Marco?!” Star exclaimed as she caught him. “Marco, wake up!” Still no response. She lifted him up and began carrying him to the nurse’s office as fast as she could. It wasn’t the first time Star had been to the nurse’s office, in fact, the nurse was one of the few people in the school that knew Star was a human, but after assisting in a bake sale she was more than happy to keep her secret.

 “Nurse Aria!” Star shouted as she ran into the large dark room.

 “I heard.” A voice came from above. As Star looked up, she saw a large humanoid spider woman propelling down from the ceiling. “Lie him on the bed and tell me exactly what happened.”

 Star walked over to the bed and put Marco down as she began recounting the events that had transpired. “We were on a field trip to learn how to avoid hunters, but a hunter came and we all tried to run. Marco he … he tried to stop him … he … he-“

 “Easy now.” The nurse said as she placed a hand on Star’s shoulder and motioned for her to sit down. “What did the hunter do to him?”

 “He hit him with this.” Star said as she lifted the bolt. “It’s laced with garlic or something.”

 “I see.” The nurse said as she looked at the bolt. “Poor Marco, too kind hearted for his own good.” She looked at the wound and began wrapping it up. “A vampire as week as him … with garlic in his blood, he’ll be gone before the sun rises.”

 Star looked at the nurse in disbelief. “Are you sure? Isn’t there something we can do to save him?”

 The nurse sighed. “He would have to become stronger … and to do that we need human blood.” Before Star could volunteer the nurse raised a finger telling her to hold. “More than you alone can give, and more than the school can afford to lend at this moment in time.”

 Star thought to herself for a moment before walking out of the room. “Then I will have to find a friend to help.”

 Star needed to find a monster that had blood that could qualify as human, but sadly, the number of monsters who fell under that category were few and far between, thankfully however, she did know of one that could help, but there was one problem. “What’s up Star?” A familiar voice asked as Star left the nurses office.

 Star turned around to see the very person she had been looking for standing right behind her in a long black worn down robe, and a brown beanie. “Hi Janna.” Star replied.

 “Is Marco going to be okay?” Janna asked. “It would be a shame to lose my test subject.”

 “He’s not your test subject.” Star replied. “You’re blood is technically human, right?”

 “Kinda.” Jannna answered as she looked away. “I mean it works like that, but no vampire can drink my blood without getting horribly cursed.”

 “Can you let a vampire drink it, without them getting horribly cursed?” Star asked.

 Janna looked at her suspiciously. “I … could.”

 “Great!” Star said as she clasped her hands together. “Because Marco needs blood if he is to survive.”

 “So?” She asked. “Can’t he just have yours? I mean you’re-“

 Star quickly put her hand over Janna’s mouth before she could finish her sentence. Janna was one of the other few who knew about Star being a human, but thankfully, she loved toying around with Marco too much to risk his ire. “Don’t say that out loud.” She hissed. “And he needs more than I can give so what will it take for you to give him blood without cursing him?”

 She thought to herself for a moment before smiling. “One month.” She stated. “I want one month where you can’t ask him out, or hang out with him other than when necessary.”

 “For one month?” Star asked. “That shouldn’t be a-“

 “But you can’t tell him!” She quickly added. “And … it can be whenever I want.”

 “Only one?” Star asked, surprised that Janna had asked for something so simple. “Fine.”

 “Sweet, now let’s save our vampire.”

 Janna walked into the nurses’ office with Star close behind; Star knew that doing this would change Marco, maybe severely, but she didn’t have much choice, Marco had saved her time and time again, now it was her turn to save him.

[thdorkmagnet]

Little Starco Part 2

For some reason I decided one chapter wouldn’t be enough and made this a two-parter. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!! Happy Halloween!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. Little Nightmares belongs to Bandai Namco. All rights go to their respective owners.

The sound of scraping metal sent shivers down Star's spine. The girl kept low to the ground, keeping her breathing to a minimum to avoid making too much noise. She tried to slow her racing heart but that was a lost cause, fear was hard to fight back when faced with such a dreadful creature as the Janitor.

This is what Star and Marco had decided to call the creature they were currently watching from a safe vantage point. It was quite a bit shorter than the other creatures the two had come across on the Maw but was still massive in comparison to their tiny bodies. It wore a brown suit and hat, all covered in grime like everything else in the Maw. The Janitor's massive head was a hideous display, deformed folds of skin completely covering its eyes and most of its face. Its smile was a misshapen, twisted expression, a row of sharp, dangerous teeth hidden behind the snear. Thanks to its deformed face, the creature was completely blind, but its hearing was scarily good, the slightest sound instantly gaining its attention, making it difficult to outmaneuver and sneak around. And on top of that, it's long, spindly arms were almost impossible to avoid, at least twice the length of its body alone and its claw-like fingers were almost made for snatching up unsuspecting children. It was easily one of the most dangerous monsters the two had encountered on the Maw and they had made a point of avoiding it at all cost. But they didn't have much choice this time around.

The two had gotten quite good at traversing the large, rusted ship of the Maw in the time since they had partnered up. It was unclear just how much time had passed since day and night had no meaning in the dark, suppressive decks of the ship but if Star had to guess she would say it had been at least several months. In that time, Star and Marco had learned the ins and outs of the ship, survival becoming much easier than it had ever been before. In fact, life was almost good for them lately.

Of course, they owed all of that to their little Nome friends. Star and Marco adored the tiny creatures and they had made almost a home in the forgotten boiler room where the Nomes tended to gather. A few of them had even bonded to the two to the point Star and Marco decided to adopt them. Now they had little Nome children, something that never failed to brighten Star's spirits even on the worst of days, the blonde named two of their children Jackie and Janna and Marco had decided to name the other two Kelly and Tom. They weren't sure if any of them were male or female but they both liked the names so they stuck with them. It was nice to have Marco and the Nomes around and sometimes Star wondered if that was what it felt like to have a family.

Not that she had anything to compare it to.

Because they spent so much time around the Nomes, Star and Marco had picked up a few tricks from the creatures to help them survive. The Nomes had good instincts, often knowing where to find food or when to run from danger and the two had learned a lot from the adorable creatures.

Navigating the perilous halls of the Maw had gotten much easier for them too. Star and Marco mostly stuck to the kitchen area or the Hideaway (the place the two had dubbed their new home), getting quite good at avoiding the chefs and stealing food under their radar. But occasionally they would have to explore the other parts of the ship for one reason or another. They had learned to avoid the prison area due to tight security, Marco had suggested possibly freeing some of the other kids but Star reminded him there was no point. They couldn't help someone who didn't want it.

Then there were the upper decks of the ship which the two had decided not to explore, well Marco had decided, Star thought that they could find a way out up there but had yet to convince her partner it was worth the risk.

There had been one incident where the two while looking for a shortcut, had ended up in the depths, the deck underneath the one they were on and the two had vowed to never speak of what had happened down there… or what they had seen. Star shuddered just thinking about it and she would prefer to keep that out of her mind if at all possible.

Then there was the lair, the area of the ship where the Janitor resided. The two avoided this area of the ship unless absolutely necessary, the less time spent around the blind monster the better. Just being near the creature was a risk in itself.

But sadly, that was one Star and Marco were forced to take. Against their better judgment they had entered into the Janitor's domain. Of course, it was not without good reason. The Nome Tom had gotten himself caught in one of the Janitors' many traps and was now in need of rescuing.

Star felt her heartache as she saw little Tom locked in one of the metal cages, his expressionless face full of sadness to Star and the blonde itched to set him free. Luckily, Marco had come up with a full-proof plan (or what they hoped to be one) to stop the Janitor. Star had learned better than to hope too much but she had confidence in her friend's plan. After all, Marco was the best when it came to plans, often using his wits to get them out of tight situations and Star trusted her friend with her life.

Speaking of said friend, Star looked over at the boy crouched next to her, nearly cooing at his adorable new attire. The blonde had no idea where the Nomes had found a matching raincoat to the one Star had but didn't question it, she was used to not having answers and this was a pleasant surprise. Unlike Star's, Marco's was a deep red color and the blonde couldn't believe how good the color looked on him. Although maybe that was just because she was happy to see him out of his dreary prison outfit. Whatever the case, Marco looked amazing, even if she was too embarrassed to admit that to him out loud.

She still wasn't exactly sure how to describe her relationship with Marco other than warm but whatever her feelings were it was nice. And she wouldn't trade it for the world. Heck, it was the only thing keeping her going most days.

Marco seemed to notice her staring (more like gawking but thankfully that was covered up by her hood) and gave her a smooth grin, his hood down so she could stare into his chocolate brown eyes. "You ready?" he asked. He sounded calm and in control but Star knew that wasn't the case. He was just hiding his fear.

Still, Star simply nodded and replied back, "Yep. Let's take down this guy." Thankfully, Marco had had the common sense to wait until their voices were drowned out by the loud scraping of metal as the Janitor lugged around heaving cages to and fro his workspace, some of them empty, others not so much.

Without another word, the two stood and went to get into position. Star just hoped this plan worked because she didn't want to know what fate awaited her and Marco should they fail… not to mention Tom.

Star tiptoed over to the large metal cage, keeping a close eye on the creature who seemed to be busy wrapping something in the familiar cloth material Star and Marco had come to know all too well. Star swallowed quietly. She didn't want to know.

Finally, she reached Tom's cage, the small Nome letting out a series of noisy squeaks when he spotted the girl. Star smiled down at her friend, her bright eyes sparkling with joy as she spotted her tiny Nome child. She tried to figure out the best way to open the cage without making too much noise but it didn't seem there was a way. No matter what she did she was going to be heard by the Janitor. She looked over to where Marco was, making sure he was in position. The boy gave her a thumbs up and Star smiled.

This was it.

As quickly and silently as she could she opened the cage door, pulling Tom out and safely into her arms. She held him tight against her chest as he purred obliviously, clearly not realizing the danger they were both in. Star looked over to the Janitor, who had stopped its wrapping, tipping its head to the side as if listening for something. The blonde watched as its long, spindly arms felt around for her. Star took a few steps back, putting a bit of distance between her and the monster, before sucking in a deep breath and placing two fingers in her mouth and letting out a shrill whistle.

The Janitor jumped letting out a garbled grunt of surprise but in a second had turned in the direction of Star. The blonde didn't wait as she turned on her heels, running as fast as her small legs could carry her. She could hear the Janitor following after her, probably following the sound of her noisy footsteps. Of course, the creature was much slower than her and Star was able to keep ahead of it luckily, but it wasn't its speed that concerned her. It was its long reach.

She feared that any second one of its long arms would snatch her up and it would be all over but she forced the fear down. She had to focus, she couldn't risk slowing down because of irrational fears. She had to keep going.

She heard the sound of a switch being thrown and ahead of Star she saw a metal wall slowly lowering from the ceiling. Clearly, the Janitor intended to trap her in there. But little did it know… it had just played right into their trap.

Marco watched Star closely as she went to free Tom and could feel worry bubbling up in his chest with every second that passed. Worry for Star, worry for Tom, worry that their plan might fail. Pretty much everything. This all depended on him after all. He hoped he could pull it off.

He was trying to get the metal cage in just the right spot, double-checking and triple-checking to make sure it was positioned just right. They only had one chance at this. The Nomes all kept trying to help him push the large object but he made them stop and hide. He didn't want to risk one of them getting taken during their rescue of another. He took a few slow breaths to try and ease his mind but that did very little for him. He saw Star looking over at him and he gave her a thumbs-up, signaling her they were ready. He hoped they really were.

He jumped when he heard Star's whistle, his body tensing up as he watched his best friend running for her life from the terrifying creature. His instincts and protective nature screamed at him to go to her but he fought it back. He had to stick to the plan. He was surprised by the level of bravery he saw on Star's face, despite having a deadly creature close behind her. She really was amazing.

The Janitor reached over and threw down a lever, a switch was pulled and the door slid down with a mighty heave, falling much faster than Marco had been expecting. Thankfully, Star slid under the door at the last second, quickly releasing Tom and moving to Marco's side. The two watched as the door was caught on the metal cage, bending it and crushing it under its weight but the cage managed to hold. A second later the Janitor's hands appeared out from the gap in the door, feeling around for the two pests.

Star and Marco hung back for a minute, watching as the Janitor's gnarled hands searched for them. The blonde took a second to check on the Nomes who were all hiding in the corner, safe and out of harm's way.

The two waited for the right moment, before slowly making their way over to the crushed cage, avoiding the limbs at all costs. Finally, they each gripped the support bars holding the cage together and with a silent nod, they pulled against them with all their might. They could slowly feel them start to give, grating and groaning against the weight of the heavy door on top of it.

The Janitor heard the sound though and its hands began to move towards the pair, fingers opening wide and slowly beginning to wrap around their slim frames.

With a loud snap! The bars finally were freed from the cage, causing it to fully collapse and the door to slam to the ground. Star and Marco were thrown off balance and sent tumbling to the floor, the metal bars clattering down next to them. The two lifted their heads to see the Janitor's arms, now severed completely by the slamming door, writhing and twitching on the ground. From the other side of the door an ear-piercing growl rang through the small room causing shivers down the two kids' spines. They could hear the anger, pain, and malice behind that roar and for a few moments neither dared to move or breathe.

Instead, they just listened as the roar slowly faded, growing fainter and fainter as the Janitor left to go lick its wounds. Once the horrible sound was completely gone, Star allowed herself to breathe again as she rose to her feet. She offered Marco a hand up, which he happily accepted. She was surprised by how warm his palm was even after the terrifying situation and she felt goosebumps flutter up her arm.

The two shared a long look for a moment, millions of emotions and thought passing between the two before they just smiled and high-fived. "We did it, Marco!" Star cheered, pumping her fists in the air and letting out a whoop of victory.

Marco nodded, the remnants of fear slowly fading from his pupils. "Yeah, we did," he replied, his voice slightly choked. Star paused, seeing her friend was still in distress.

"Hey, what's wrong? We won, didn't we?" Star asked.

"Yeah, it's just…" The boy let out a shaky breath… before running forward and hugging Star tightly. The girl tensed in surprise but quickly hugged him back. She listened to his shaky breathing for a second. Marco was always like this after a scare like that. He always took the longest to calm down and Star would often have to soothe him into his sleep that night, cuddling and comforting him until he drifted off.

Star was so sick of having to see Marco go through this, again and again. She wanted him to be happy. To be safe. To not have to worry about anything anymore.

Finally, the boy pulled away, a thin smile on his face. "I'm okay, now," he muttered, trying feebly to reassure Star. But Star knew better.

Star opened her mouth to say something but he quickly cut her off. "Come on, let's go back to the Hideaway," he muttered, turning on his heels and walking away from Star. The blonde watched him sadly but followed his lead. The two picked up the Nomes and quickly left the lair through an opened vent.

They were silent as they crawled through the dark vents, Star watching Marco's back while silently contemplating a plan of her own. One that would get them out of this nightmare, once and for all.

…

"We can't keep doing this."

"Well, we'll just have to keep a better eye on the Nomes from now on and I doubt the Janitor will be giving us any trouble for a while."

"That's not what I mean, Marco!"

"Then what do you mean?"

"I mean… this! All of this. We need to get off of this ship!"

"But Star we don't even know if there is a way out of here-"

"Then we need to go to the upper deck."

"What?! No way, we don't know what's up there!"

"Well, it's either that or we stay down here and die."

"But-"

"Do you really think we can keep avoiding monsters forever? Eventually, we're gonna get caught and then what are we gonna do?"

"Well… we'll...."

"Face it, Marco. If we don't at least try and escape then what are we even doing with our lives?"

"We're surviving."

"Yeah but I want to live. I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want us to be safe and away from this awful place. Please, Marco.”

Pause.

"Alright. Fine, you win."

"Really? You mean it."

"Yeah. Let's get off of this ship. Together."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

…

Star felt the spray of salty seawater hitting her raincoat and she shivered as the cold drops dripped off of her. She clung tightly to the metal rungs, trying to avoid looking below her. They were currently climbing up the side of the boat, hanging on for dear life as the ocean waves splashed all around them, intent on causing the two kid's to lose their grip it seemed. Star ran a hand through her dripping locks, all of which seemed intent on blocking her face and she groaned in frustration.

She looked behind her to make sure Tom and Kelly were securely tied around her. Above her, Marco had Jackie and Janna strapped tightly around his waist to prevent them from somehow wiggling loose. The two had decided it best to bring the Nomes with them since they didn't want to risk being unable to come back for their small family.

The going was slow and tiring but Star felt her chest bubbling with excitement. Finally, they were getting off this horrible nightmare ship. She couldn't believe she had actually convinced Marco to leave. She finally felt like she was accomplishing something, probably for the first time in her life, and even though she could feel the tendrils of fear like always they were nothing compared to the anticipation building up inside of her, the promise of freedom was so close at hand. She could almost taste it.

Or maybe that was the gross seawater that kept getting in her mouth.

The going was slow and silent as the two kids slowly scaled the side of the rusted metal ship. The good news was, they had picked the perfect time to escape cause it seemed the ship was docked on some shore… for now. It was hard to make out through the thick layer of fog that had fallen all around them, could barely see more than a few feet in front of her, but she was sure that it was land. It had to be.

In the distance, she also thought she saw forms moving in the fog. It was hard to make out, but if she squinted she was sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Something was moving in the distance. Or to be more precise… many things were moving in the distance. Almost like a line of them were entering onto the ship. Star felt her heart hammer away in her chest. If what she was seeing was right, then that could be their way out.

"Marco," she called up to her friend, unable to hide the eagerness in her tone.

"I see it," he replied. There was a quiver in his voice and Star doubted it was for the same reason as her.

Finally, the two made it inside the ship, finding a narrow gap in the hull they could slip through. They found themselves in another vent and Star felt slightly relieved by the familiarity of it. She hoped Marco agreed. The two traveled the narrow shaft in silence, deciding to keep the gnomes tied to them just in case the creatures got the idea to run off and get themselves into trouble again. Neither of the kids knew what this part of the ship had to offer and they would rather not put their little family in danger if possible. The farther along Star went the more she could swear she could hear a thumping in the distance.

She frowned, biting her lip as the noise grew progressively louder, the gentle thumping turning into a steady, pounding rhythm. After a while, it almost felt like it was shaking the ground beneath Star's feet and that was beyond unnerving. What the heck was that sound?

She soon got her answer.

The two found a boarded-up space and with a few pulls and tugs, they were able to clear the path, crawling through the narrow gap and out of the ventilation system. The two could only gap open-mouthed at what they saw on the other side.

Star and Marco were hidden up high in the rafters, which meant they had a perfect viewpoint to watch as a procession of creatures slowly marched through the upper decks of the ship. Their movements were all perfectly synchronized, down to the timing of their steps, to the sway of their bodies and that sight alone was enough to give Star chills. Of course, that wasn't even considering the creatures themselves. Their bodies were horribly overweight, their faces deformed and hideous looking, each one as ugly and disgusting as the last. They were both males and females there, or at least what looked to be males and females, it was really hard to say what they were. They all wore what Star assumed were supposed to be fancy suits, but the attire hardly was just as jarring as the rest of them, dark, dreary colors and faded patchwork making up their outfits. Their movements were all swayed and uneven, their bodies hunched over as if struggling to stay upright.

Every step seemed to be difficult for the creatures like they could collapse at any moment and yet they still trudged on towards an unknown destination. Star and Marco watched them go in silence, the blonde beyond curious where the creatures could all be going to. She doubted it was anything good but still, she couldn't help but wonder. Wherever it was, it had to be important.

"Where do you think they're all going?" Star asked her companion who shrugged.

"No idea," Marco replied, staring down at the creatures nervously. "But I'd rather not find out."

"It could be our ticket out of here?" Star pointed out.

"Or it could be a death wish waiting to happen," Marco argued.

Star considered that for a moment, Marco doing the same, the two letting out a simultaneous hum, the boy thoughtfully rubbing a finger on his chin. Finally, Star spoke saying, "Well, one things for sure, we aren't getting out that way." She pointed to the gangplank the monsters were entering from.

Marco nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, that's not happening."

"Soooo," the blonde said knowingly, leaning closer to her friend, waiting for his answer.

The boy let out a long sigh, before muttering, "Okay, I guess we don't have much choice."

Star, seeing the worry in her friend's eyes, offered him her hand, saying sweetly, "Don't worry. I won't leave your side, promise.”

Marco smiled at her, his eyes sparkling for just an instance as he took her hand in his own, feeling a spark of something flash between them. The two quickly ran across the wooden beam, keeping a firm grip on each other's hands, as they followed the path of the monsters. Marco felt much calmer now, allowing himself to rush blindly into the unknown cause Star was there with him and there was nothing the two of them couldn't do. Anytime the fear would try and cling to him, he would just squeeze his friend's hand and he would feel brave, once more.

Star was keeping a close eye on the monsters as she ran, eager to find out where they were going. That was until something else caught Star's eye and she felt her heart stop beating. She stopped dead in her tracks, shaking head to toe as pure terror took hold. Marco came to an unexpected stop beside her, watching his trembling friend in confusion and worry. He had never seen Star so afraid before. Usually, he was the one afraid and even though she had been frightened before, never like this. It looked like she had just seen a ghost or something.

"Star, what's wrong?" Marco asked, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. He swallowed thickly as she trembled in his touch. The blonde didn't respond, just staring blankly off into the distance. "Star, come on, talk to me! You're starting to scare me." He shook her arm as gently as he could, hoping to snap her out of whatever fear-driven trance she was in.

The blonde finally seemed to gain ahold of herself, shaking her head back and forth before staring at Marco, wide-eyed. "M-Marco," she stammered, but her expression was blank like she was staring right through him.

"What is it?" the boy in red replied, trying to hide his own fear. He hated seeing Star like this. She was supposed to be the strong one but right now she looked weak, helpless. The only times he ever saw her like this was…

Instead of responding, Star numbly lifted a finger, pointing off somewhere in the distance. Marco finally followed her gaze and was stunned by what he saw. Above the steady procession of the monsters stood a lone figure. She was dressed all in a brown kimono with long wavy black hair, a white mask covering her entire face. She stared down at the monsters as if watching over them all. Something about her posture told Marco she was the one in charge of all this as if she was controlling the creatures below her, like puppets on a string. Something about her was off, though but Marco couldn't quite place it and he felt a shudder go up his spine. He didn't know what it was but he didn't like looking at her. At all.

"Who's that?" Marco asked breathlessly.

"That lady," Star whispered, her face now unreadable, completely devoid of any expression. "It's her."

"What are you talking about? Have you seen her before?" Marco asked in surprise.

Star nodded numbly. "Yeah. That's the lady… the one I told you about," the blonde replied so softly Marco almost didn't hear it.

"Wait, the one from your nightmares!" Marco exclaimed in surprise. Star had talked extensively about the recurring dream she had, every time she had it she would turn into a shaking mess and it would take Marco a while to calm her back down. Just like right now. Only now, they didn't have the benefit of saying it was just a nightmare. Cause apparently that nightmare was now real. "But that's impossible!" the boy after a moment of contemplation.

Star turned to him and the look in her eyes told Marco she wasn't lying, the certainty in her pupils catching him off guard. "That's her, Marco. I'm sure of it."

Marco stared into her eyes for a few seconds longer, before nodding, saying, "Okay, I believe you." He paused, watching his companion closely before adding, "So now what do we do? Since… the lady from your dreams is here and... real apparently." When Star didn't reply the boy began to make suggestions of their next move, hoping to fill the unbearable silence with something. "Maybe we can… sneak past her? Or what if we climbed onto the backs of one of those monsters. I know it would be risky but still. Or oh hey, what if we just-"

Star let out a few shaky breaths, tuning out her friend as she stared down her greatest nightmare. She couldn't believe she was actually real. After all this time of wondering, of fearing that face in the darkness, she found herself staring right at it, in person. And the longer she stared, the more things began to make sense to Star. Something clicked into place, all of a sudden she had an answer to one of the mysteries that loomed over the Maw. And she was so certain it was true, that it felt as real and certain as the breath in her body.

"She's the one behind all this," Star whispered so softly Marco couldn't quite make out the words.

"What?" he asked, leaning forward to try and hear her a bit better.

Star turned to him, her eyes distant and half-lidded as she muttered, "She's the one who trapped us here. She's the reason all of this is happening."

"How can you possibly know that?" Marco asked skeptically.

"It's just… a feeling, I guess," Star replied with a shrug.

Marco pondered that for a moment. "Well, it does make sense. I mean, she does look important. I wouldn't be surprised to find out she's the person in charge of this whole place."

Star nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Which means if we're gonna get out of this place…" Star paused, letting the reality of what she was about to suggest sink in. "We have to kill her."

"Wait, kill her?!" Marco exclaimed, before slapping a hand over his mouth, looking fearfully in the direction of the lady, hoping she hadn't heard his outburst. But thankfully, her attention was still on the group of monsters entering into her ship, not on the two children watching her out of sight. The boy breathed a sigh of relief, before turning to his partner with an incredulous look. "Are you serious? We can't just... I mean-"

"We have to Marco," Star said, her voice far more confident than it probably should be considering what she was suggesting. "It's the only way we are ever gonna get out of this place."

"We could just… wait and sneak past her," the boy suggested, feeling less and less sure.

"That's not gonna work," Star replied, griping Marco's arm tightly. "This is the only way."

"There has to be another way."

"There isn't."

"Come on, Star," Marco argued, trying to keep his voice firm. "Think about this for a second. We can't kill her! Look at her, she looks crazy powerful."

"Yeah, well, what other choice do we have!" Star hissed. "And besides how is this any different from earlier with the Janitor?"

"Because we actually had a plan!" Marco retorted, trying desperately to talk some sense into his companion.

"Well then we make one," Star said stubbornly. She was not backing down.

"How?"

"I don't know, we'll follow her around for a bit or something."

"You really think that's gonna work?" Marco asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

Star could see she was making her friend uncomfortable but she had to convince him. She just had to. Still, she spoke in a bit calmer of a tone as she explained, "Look, Marco. I know it's stupid and dangerous but… we have to stop her. Not just for us but for all the people she's hurt. If we can beat her, then maybe this horrible nightmare can finally be over, for everyone."

Marco opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He thought about what Star was saying, really thought about it. Was she right? Could taking down the lady really be the answer to their problems? Could it mean that not just them, but everyone that was trapped in this place, could finally be free? If they could pull this off (but that was a big 'if') then who knows, maybe he and Star could actually start a life together, away from this disaster of a prison. It was a tempting thought for sure. But he had no idea if that was even possible.

Still…

"Alright," Marco finally said hesitantly. He still wasn't sure this was a good idea but he decided to go along with this crazy plan. After all, there was no talking Star out of one of her ideas, he'd just have to make sure to be there to watch her back. "We'll do it your way, Star."

Star's eyes shimmered with joy as she exclaimed, "Really?!"

Marco nodded. Pushing all the regrets and doubts to the back of his mind as he replied, "Yeah. I trust you, Star. If you think we can pull this off, then I believe you."

Star grinned brightly at her friend, before throwing her arms around him in a surprise hug. "Thank you, Marco. I promise I won't let you down this time." She squeezed him just a little tighter remembering the day they first met when she had nearly lost him to the chef. She swore to herself she wouldn't let that happen again. She and Marco could do this. They could win so long as they worked together.

"I know you won't," Marco whispered softly, holding Star as tightly against him as he could, hoping this wouldn't be the last time.

…

Star and Marco spent the rest of the day following around the Lady, trying to learn as much about her as they could. They made sure to stay out of her sight, keeping a safe distance away at all times, neither daring to get too close. Thanks to this though, they did finally learn where the Guests (as they had decided to call them) were being led. To a massive buffet.

The two had watched in mutual disgust and horror as the Guest chewed greedily on the food laid out on tables before them, stuffing food into their disfigured mouths like there was no tomorrow. Star couldn't believe anyone (even a monster) could eat so much, especially the disgusting piles of meat that seemed to cover every surface of the tables but the Guests never slowed, Star unsure how the creatures kept from choking on the massive amounts of meat they stuffed into their mouths.

The Lady casually strolled through the rows of tables, not even looking at the monsters' disgusting display. The Guests didn't even seem to notice her, although Star and Marco did notice the tables she would walk by would suddenly start to eat at an even faster rate, cramming more and more meat down their throats. Everything about the Lady creeped Star out, possibly more than any of the other creatures on the Maw had and she could tell Marco felt the same, his form shaking beside her almost the whole time.

Star was suddenly glad, they had decided to leave the Nomes behind, hiding them away in a small crate where they hoped they would stay put and not be found. Tailing the Lady was gonna be hard enough without the noisy and oftentimes reckless Nomes around. Besides, Star didn't want to think about what would happen should one of the Guests get ahold of their children. They didn't seem to have a preference for meat.

The blonde held back a shudder, before gripping Marco's hand tightly and leading them forward a bit. They had learned to hide under the tables since it seemed to be the easiest way to stay out of sight. They watched as the Lady made her way to an elevator, which opened before she even reached it, the doors slamming shut behind her. Star and Marco shared a look. Where was she going?

But they didn't have too long to ponder this as one of the Guests suddenly spotted them from the next table over and quickly threw itself off its chair, crawling towards them on hands and knees. Thankfully, it was pretty slow and Star and Marco were able to outrun him. They had quickly learned the Guests weren't too much of a threat so long as you kept them at a distance. But unfortunately, the Guest had knocked over the table the two had just been hiding under, flipping it onto its side with it's bulking, heavy form, causing meat to rain down around the pair of kids.

Several other Guests looked over at the two and immediately started crawling towards them. Star felt her heart jump into her throat, gripping Marco's hand tightly and running away from the greedy monsters. Soon a tidal wave of Guests were on Star and Marco's tail, all of them crawling over one another to try and reach their meal first. The two kids, however, did their best to avoid the deadly creatures, running underneath tables, which were flipped and destroyed in the ensuing action, and even hopping up onto one of the tables to try and getaway.

The Guests seated around the table reached out for them with their grubby fingers but Star and Marco didn't pay them any mind, running past them at a safe distance away. The two kept their eyes on the elevator, knowing that was the only chance of escape they had. Marco was quickly losing breath, struggling to keep up with his fast-moving friend, his legs still not in good enough shape to keep going for much longer. The adrenaline seemed to be the only thing keeping him from collapsing right there but who knew how long that would last. And on top of that, Marco had just noticed something about their method of escape, something that nearly caused his racing heart to stop beating altogether. There was a button next to the elevator.

If Marco had to guess he would probably say that was the only way to activate said elevator and his brain quickly tossed and turned over ideas of how to hit the button without stopping and getting consumed by the crowd of Guests on their tails. He looked around for something to use, anything when his gaze fell on a small piece of sausage sitting on a plate in front of him. The boy snatched it up as he ran past, holding it tightly against his chest. He looked over to Star who was giving him a weird look, obviously confused why Marco had chosen now of all times to eat.

But Marco quickly passed the sausage over to Star panting as he explained, "Hit the button!" He pointed the button out to her and Star stared at it for only a second before nodding in understanding, a look of determination now on her face. She sucked in a deep breath before throwing the piece of sausage with all her might.

The sausage tumbled through the air for a moment before smacking hard into the button, the doors to the elevator sliding open in an instant. Star and Marco jumped down off the table running toward the elevator, the noisy and now desperate Guests still right on their heels. The loud groans were now almost deafening and Marco did his best to force his sore legs forward. The doors to the elevator were slowly beginning to close and Marco found newfound strength as he gripped Star's hand tightly in his own. He felt a warmth spread through his cold body and in one final, desperate push he and Star ran through the doors of the elevator just as they closed shut behind them. There was a loud bang as the weight of the Guests fell hard against the metal but the doors somehow held. With a lurch, the elevator started its ascent, the two now on their way to wherever the Lady had gone.

Star and Marco both panted heavily, trying to catch their breath after the terrifying and tense ordeal as well as calm their racing pulse. Star could feel her heart beating so fast she feared it might burst out of her chest and a quick glance over at Marco showed he was doing no better, the boy shaking head to toe and bent over as he tried to breathe in as much air as possible. The blonde watched him for a moment trying to think of something to say to lighten the mood and her friend's spirits, before simply stating, "Hey, that was really clever thinking back there."

Marco attempted a smile, still struggling to breath normally again but he managed to gasp out, "Well we wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't made that throw. That was really impressive. I know I couldn't have done that."

Star blushed, turning her head away from the boy to try and not let her embarrassment show as she quietly muttered, "Thanks."

The two were silent for a minute or so, just listening to the metallic hum of the elevator as it carried them steadily upwards. Star could feel an uncomfortable tension forming between the two as they waited for the elevator to reach its destination. She knew that whatever waited for them probably wouldn't be pleasant (nothing on this ship ever was) but still the wait felt unbearable, every second seemed to drag on for an eternity as if time itself had decided to drag its feet and hold them hostage in this tense moment. Star shifted uneasily on her feet as both fear and curiosity bubbled inside her chest. Marco looked equally as uncomfortable as Star felt, his fingers twitching at his sides and his face set in a grimace.

Finally, the girl couldn't take the silence any longer as she asked her friend, "Sooo where do you think this thing is taking us?"

As soon as the words left Star's mouth, the elevator came to an abrupt stop, the doors swinging open, revealing a dark corridor ahead of them. "I guess we're about to find out," Marco muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Star swallowed hard, staring forward into the unknown room and felt a sudden urge to leave.

But she couldn't now. They had come too far. They had to do this.

She felt Marco's hand grip her own and the warmth of his palm provided her with a small comfort, reminding her that she wasn't going in alone. They were together. And together, they could do anything. With that thought, Star stepped off the elevator and into the new area of the Maw, Marco doing the same. The doors to the elevator slid closed, the small bang causing the two paranoid kids to jump.

Star stood there in the dark hallway, letting out slow, uneven breaths as she took in her surroundings, which wasn't easy to do since there were no light sources at all in this part of the ship, not a single lamp lit or a candle. Nothing. Still, despite the lack of lighting, Star could see that the place was some kind of private quarters if she had to guess it was probably the Lady's. The place was well furnished and everything looked new and extravagant (especially considering the run-down state of the rest of the ship). Despite how expensive and lavish the place appeared to be, it was far from comfortable.

Something in the air felt wrong to Star like a heavy weight was pressing down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She could feel a creeping dread flooding her system and it took everything she had not to turn around and get back on the elevator. She didn't know if Marco could feel it too but a quick glance over at him showed his obvious discomfort.

This area was also incredibly cold, Star's breath now fogged and her bare feet already starting to feel numb. Even the lower levels of the ship, the dreary and unkept parts of the ship, had been warmer and more inviting than this place. She shivered, both from the cold and her own mounting fear but forced herself to continue further down the hallway. Marco stuck close to her side as they walked, allowing Star to take the lead while he gazed around nervously, every little sound and creak causing him to flinch. Star just kept her eyes trained straight ahead, doing her very best to ignore her own terror and just focus on the task at hand.

But at one point, Star could swear she heard a giggle somewhere in the dark but when she looked in that direction, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Still, she could swear she felt a pair of eyes watching her which only added to her paranoia.

As the two traveled deeper and deeper into the chambers they began to hear a low hum echoing in the distance. The tune was slow and gentle as the voice of a woman repeated the same song again and again. The voice carried every note beautifully but something about the tone felt hallow, almost sad. The melody itself was off-putting to the girl, every note causing chills to jump up Star's spine. And yet it was oddly... familiar.

"Wh-Where is that coming from?" Marco whispered over to Star.

"No idea," Star replied in her own low tone.

But the two soon got an answer as they got to the end of the hallway, finding a large staircase leading up to the second floor, the door above them slightly ajar, and the clear voice of a woman was coming from inside, humming that same ominous tune. The two stared up at the door at a loss for a moment before sharing a look, silently wondering the same thing. What now?

Star looked over at the door near the bottom of the staircase and quickly headed over to that. But Marco's gaze stayed on the second story, watching it closely as if expecting something to come busting out of it at any second. He did a quick glance over at Star before ascending the stairs, deciding to quickly investigate. Star had just started to push open the door when she turned to see Marco heading up to the next floor and felt panic fill her system. She ran after him, jogging up the steps two at a time before tightly grabbing onto his wrist, pulling him back towards her. "Marco, what are you doing?" she whispered, trying her best to keep her voice down despite how freaked she was.

"It's alright, Star. I'm just taking a quick peek inside."

"Yeah but-"

"You want to find out the Lady's weakness, right? Well, this is our chance to learn."

Star bit her lip but knew she couldn't argue with that, still she hated the idea of having her Marco so close to that crazy witch. If she hadn't felt she couldn't accomplish her mission without him, she would have left him with the Gnomes too. But they were a team and they needed each other which meant sticking together despite the danger. Star let out a shaky breath before releasing her grip on the boy's arm, allowing him to creep slowly over to the door, but kept a wary eye on him the whole time.

Marco gave the door a gentle push, opening it up just an inch more so he could see inside. The boy in red sucked in a breath before looking through the crack into the interior of the room, his searching eye scanning the interior quickly.

He could tell it was a bedroom of sorts, the décor as fancy as the rest of the residence, and his eye quickly landed on the Lady herself. She was at a vanity, slowly running a brush through her hair as she hummed the same tune to herself. Marco stared at her for a moment, taking in as much about the Lady as he could. She seemed to have her guard down at the moment and this seemed like the best time to take an analysis of their enemy.

But nothing about her really stood out to him, she was a mystery plain and simple, hidden behind the mask on her face. Still, he did notice something amiss in the room she was in. The mirror on the vanity was broken. Shattered into a thousand pieces making it impossible to look through and still, that seemed to be what she was staring at. Why would she break her mirror?

The boy frowned but moved away from the door, realizing he wasn't going to get anything else from just watching her. They needed to explore around more. He turned to Star and gave her a quick nod letting her know he was ready to go. The two then tip-toed back downstairs and entered into the next room, which was somehow even darker and colder than the last. The two shivered in their raincoats, rubbing their arms up and down their bodies as they attempted to regain some heat into their frozen forms. Star flicked open her lighter and she and Marco crowded around it, soaking in as much warmth as they could from the small flame.

A quick glance around the room, made them feel even more unnerved than they already were. The room was filled with faceless mannequins, all wearing the same outfit the Lady had been, a brown kimono. Even though the things were lifeless, in the dark they almost felt like looming presences, staring down at the two intruders and judging their every move. Star felt like she was being watched again, only this time on a much grander scale. Instead of a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows, this felt like she was in a faceless crowd all of which had their eyes on her and her alone.

“Let's get out of here, I don't like this place," Star whispered to Marco and the boy quickly nodded.

"Agreed."

The two moved steadily through the line of mannequins, trying their best not to let their paranoia get the better of them as they journeyed deeper into the room. Even though Star was grateful for the lighter, she almost wished she didn't have it, since the harsh shadows it cast on the mannequins was almost as bad as being in pure darkness. Still, she persisted, refusing to let a bunch of lifeless forms get in the way of her goal. Feeling her way through a pair of mannequins led her into a different room, this one far bigger but with more mannequins still scattered about.

Still, not being in such a claustrophobic position with a bunch of creepy statues helped ease Star's nerves a little. But not much. Marco was practically attached to her hip as the two tip-toed deeper into the room, their breath fogged from the bitter cold they felt consuming their bodies. How could anyone live in these conditions? Star wondered. Even the freaking prison isn't this cold!

"You see anything?" Marco asked his companion in a low tone.

"Other than more creepy mannequins, then no," Star replied sarcastically. She was getting tired of this place already.

"There has to be something around here. Keep looking," Marco said, his confidence astounding to Star. How could he be so sure of himself right now? Marco really was amazing.

The two reluctantly split up to explore the room a bit farther, Star giving Marco her lighter to help him see and stay warm (even though he protested heavily) while she searched the room in the dark. Her eyes adjusted quickly and she was able to maneuver around fairly easy, although she tried to give the mannequins a wide berth. She really didn't like those things.

Finally, though she came across a doorway of some sort which had been boarded up to prevent anyone from getting inside. Star smiled to herself, thinking, Jackpot. She quickly called Marco over saying, "Hey, I think I found something."

Marco was at her side in a heartbeat, holding up the lighter so the two could peer inside. Something shiny reflected off the small flame and both kids grinned in victory. Something important was definitely in there. Star grabbed onto a loose board and pulled against it with all her might, Marco flicking closed the lighter before giving her a hand. Between the two of them, they were able to easily pop the board off from the wall, letting it clatter to the cold ground. The two crouched low as they ducked under the haphazard barricade and into the hidden room. Marco flicked open the lighter again and held it up so Star and Marco could see the contents of the room.

Both kids gasped in surprise at what they were seeing. The room was filled with mirrors all of which had been shattered, tiny fragments of glass lay scattered all over the floor shimmering in the flickering firelight. The two looked around in complete shock, taking in the array of broken mirrors before them. "Huh, someone doesn't like mirrors," Star muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, no kidding," Marco replied, kicking one of the broken frames with his foot.

“How many years of bad luck do you think she has?" Star joked, looking over at Marco with a small grin, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

Marco shrugged but there was a hint of a smile on his own lips. "Probably like a million," he replied and the two shared a giggle.

But out of nowhere, Star let out a loud gasp, shouting, "Marco!" She gripped the boy by the front of his raincoat, pulling him so close their noses were almost touching. "Do you know what this means?!"

"Uhhhh," the boy began, unsure what his companion wanted from him.

"We just found the Lady's weakness!" Star exclaimed, her eyes dancing with joy.

"Wait, you mean the mirrors?" Marco questioned, looking down at the shattered remains in confusion.

"Yeah, exactly! With one of these, we can take her down!"

“Wait, seriously!” the boy exclaimed in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

Star nodded. “Yeah, it's just this feeling I have.”

"A feeling?" Marco repeated, an eyebrow slowly rising. "Like the one about the Lady."

Star nodded. "Yeah, come on, Marco. Just trust me on this." She gripped his hand tightly, giving him a hopeful but pleading look, her sky blue irises causing Marco's heart to flutter in his chest. "This is the answer."

Marco stared long and hard at his friend, before slowly nodding, saying in a gentle but hesitant tone, "Okay, Star. I trust you."

Star let out a loud cheer, giving her friend a quick hug while exclaiming, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She quickly pulled away though and a serious frown returned to her face as she said, "Now come on, we need to find a mirror that isn't broken."

Marco nodded but felt his chest twist in doubt. How were they going to find one of those? The Lady seemed quite meticulous making sure they were all destroyed. It didn't seem possible that one would just be-

"Found one!" Star's shouted, breaking Marco out of his thoughts as he turned slack-jawed to see an unbroken mirror laying on a fancy purple pillow.

Star was squealing in joy as she reached out to grab it but Marco had his doubts and quickly grabbed her arm stopping her from snatching it up. "Wait, Star. Hang on a second."

"Hang on," the girl scoffed. "When we are so close to winning."

"Something about this just doesn't seem right," Marco replied in a tight mutter. It seemed so unlikely that a mirror would just be left intact like that. How could the Lady have possibly overlooked one, especially one that was left on a fancy pillow instead of just thrown on the ground like the rest of its counterparts? Everything about this sent Marco's instincts on edge. "It could be a trap."

Star rolled her eyes and jerked her hand away from the boy, telling him simply, "Stop worrying so much, Marco. It's fine."

"Does none of this seem suspicious to you?" he asked, giving her a nervous look.

Star thought that over for a second before shrugging. "Maybe a little. But what choice do we have? This could be our best weapon to use against the Lady."

Marco sucked in a deep breath, allowing his shoulders to sag. He knew Star was right. He hated it but she was right. This was a risk they were just going to have to take. Without another word, he stepped to the side and allowed Star to reach down and pick up the smooth mirror but he kept a watchful eye on her the whole time.

The girl in the raincoat, slowly reached down and placed a hand on the cool surface and instantly felt a tingling in her fingertips which quickly jumped up her arm and she ripped her hand away in surprise, letting out a gasp.

Marco was at her side in an instant, checking her arm for damage as he asked in a panic, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Star replied in a far-off tone, her gaze never leaving the reflective surface. She slowly approached the mirror again but this time picked it up off the pillow. As she did, she felt a new strength fill her bones, that strange tingling sensation flooding her insides causing her to become slightly disoriented. Her head buzzed with strange energy causing her to lose focus for a second and she shook her head to try and clear it. But the strangest of all was that the mirror seemed to be... calling to her. Was this why she had been so desperate to come here? Was the mirror leading her here all along? To her destiny? To her chosen fate?

If so, what was her fate? To defeat the Lady? Or die trying? Star didn't have an answer for that yet, but she was about to get one. She looked over at Marco who was watching her nervously, clearly unsettled by her bizarre behavior but she didn't have time to deal with that right now. She needed to find the Lady and end this nightmare once and for all.

So without a word, she headed back the way they had come, Marco following close on her heels, shouting, "Wait! Star, where are we going?"

"To find the Lady," was all Star said in reply as she ducked under the loose boards and into the next room.

But what waited for her on the other side, left her frozen in her tracks, everything around Star seeming to stop as she saw the Lady standing in the middle of the massive room. Her back was to Star but something told the blonde that the Lady knew she was there. The girl took a panicked step back, bumping into Marco who had also completely frozen up, unable to move or look away from the figure lurking before them. The mirror shook in her grip as she trembled in fear, her racing heart threatening to burst out of her chest.

Still, Star summoned up her courage and sucking in a deep breath took a step closer to the Lady, her foot making an unfortunate creak on the loose floorboard. But the woman didn't acknowledge the sudden sound or the kids in any way and so Star seized her opportunity and tip-toed towards her, tightening her grip on the mirror as she prepared to do... something. Okay, so she hadn't really figured out how to kill the Lady with a small hand mirror but still. At least she had some way to fight back against this foul witch.

In the blink of an eye, the Lady vanished and Star jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the mirror in her fright. She choked on a scream and quickly shuffled backward, her eyes scanning all around the dark room in search of the Lady. Her breathing became shallow and weak as ice-cold panic filled her veins. Where was she? Thanks to the inky darkness of the room, Star couldn't tell what was a mannequin or the Lady herself, the shadowed forms all around her impossible to differentiate.

Suddenly Marco's panicked voice cut through the moment, screaming out in warning, "Behind you!" Star turned just in time to see the Lady sneaking up on her, floating above the ground in a graceful but terrifying manner. Star closed her eyes and held the mirror as high up as she could, using it as some kind of shield and to her surprise, this actually seemed to work.

The Lady let out a high-pitched scream as the mirror vibrated in her grip. Peaking open her eyes, she saw a strange glowing coming out of the reflective surface and dark smoke pouring off of the Lady as she tried to reach out for Star. But a sudden force from the mirror threw Star to the ground and the Lady walked back into the shadows, clutching her chest as if in pain. The girl in yellow could only stare awestruck in the direction the Lady had disappeared from. She couldn't believe that actually worked. The mirror really did hurt the Lady.

Marco ran over to her and helped her up to her feet, asking worriedly, "You okay?" The girl nodded, snatching up the mirror and bracing it against her chest, while her eyes narrowly examined the room, watching and waiting for the next attack. She would be back.

"Marco, get behind me," Star said in a serious tone and the boy didn't argue, holding the lighter up over his head to provide some sort of illumination around them, feeble as it was, and it was a small comfort to Star. She didn't like the idea of having to face the Lady alone and in the dark. She felt fragile in darkness.

After a few seconds of waiting, however, Star began to feel unnerved. She hated waiting. She wished the Lady would just attack already. As if receiving her wish, the Lady appeared off to Star's left side, floating towards her even faster than before, the folds of her kimono fluttering behind her menacingly. But Star showed no fear as she merely turned in the Lady's direction and held the mirror up. Another burst of light came out of the mirror, as well as a loud ringing noise that caused Star to cringe. Again, Star was thrown to the ground and the Lady let out a howl of pain before vanishing.

Star felt sick as she opened her eyes, her head spinning like crazy, but she forced herself up, grabbing the mirror and getting into the same position as before. It didn't take long before she saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye but turning in that direction revealed nothing. Just more unmoving mannequins. Star's already disoriented mind was left completely stunned by this and her guard dropped in her state of confusion.

The Lady appeared again, this time floating in from behind the two kids. Luckily, Marco was able to spot her in time and quickly pointed her out to Star, who once more turned the power of the mirror onto the cruel witch. The Lady's scream was now a pained shriek but Star felt no sympathy for the monster who had held them captive on this boat. She deserved everything that was coming to her. The Lady, growing desperate now tried to fight through the pain and stepped closer to the pair, reaching out a shrewd claw. But the Lady was no match for the mysterious force behind the mirror and had no choice but to retreat to the shadows again, this time panting heavily from exertion and agony.

Star was lucky enough not to be pushed to the ground again, falling back instead into Marco's waiting hand, the boy catching her and holding her upright. The blonde gave him a quick grateful smile before returning her focus on finding the Lady.

The two moved around in a steady circle, their eyes scanning the inky blackness for any signs of the mysterious creature. Every second for Star seemed to drag on for eternity as she waited for her opponent to make her next move. And the longer it went on, the more doubt began to creep its way into Star's mind.

Silence.

Unending, unbearable silence.

Not even the floorboards made a creak or groan. There was just... nothing. And that was far more unnerving than the loudest, most ear-piercing wail she had ever heard. She didn't know how much time had passed at this point but it felt like a year. Was the Lady behind this? Was she using her power to stop time or something?

Finally, she heard the flutter of fabric and turned to the source of the sound but saw nothing. Okay, that was weird. And creepy. Star gulped, trying not to let her fear show.

"Wh-Where is she?" Star whispered shakily, needing something to break the silence, if only for a second.

"There!" Marco shouted, pointing to a shifting shape off to their left. But as soon as it had come, it was gone, leaving the two shaking kids alone in the dark.

Star was starting to get paranoid, she was no longer sure what was a shadow and what was a real person. Not to mention the longer she held the mirror the sicker she felt. Her vision was starting to blur, making it even harder to tell where the Lady was, and her head felt fuzzy. The small mirror now weighed heavily in her arms which were starting to ache from the effort of holding it up, while her ears now rang with the familiar chime of the mirror's magic. Star wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

There was another shift behind her and she turned to see what it was before something clattered to the ground next to her and she jumped. It was one of the mannequins, toppled over and now laying in the sight of the flickering firelight. Star took a few deep breaths, taking a step back, expecting to be greeted by Marco, needing to feel his presence to fuel her with courage but he wasn't there. Instead, a dark shadow fell over her and she turned to see the Lady towering over her, Marco suspended in the air by some form of smoky black cloud, struggling and gasping for air. Star, seeing her friend in peril quickly lifted the mirror, hoping attacking the Lady with it would cause her to release her friend. But before the pain with a simple wave of her hand, the woman flung poor Marco straight at Star.

The girl had no time to counter as Marco's fragile body collided with hers, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Star groaned in pain as she slowly opened her eyes, her head spinning so bad at this point she could hardly think. She slowly raised her head, ignoring the wave of nausea that followed the movement, and gritted her teeth as she forced her aching body to rise off the wooden floor. She looked around blindly in the dark for a second (the lighter going out from the Lady's harsh attack) trying to spot her companion somewhere.

Until she heard his scream.

New terror gripped at her heart as she turned wide-eyed to see Marco once more suspended in the air by the Lady's powers. Dark energy flowing off of him and into the Lady herself. Marco was jerking around in a panic, trying someway to get free but it was no use. The Lady had him completely under her control. Her faceless mask showed no remorse as the boy began twitching in her enchanted grip, twisting at awkward angles that looked quite painful to Star's eye.

The blonde felt like her heart was about to stop beating as she watched the most precious thing in the world to her, being manipulated like a puppet by the vile witch. She looked around for the mirror, the only defense they had against the Lady, and found it laying right beside her. She crawled over to it and quickly flipped it over to inspect the damage. Only to stare in pure dread at the shattered surface, cracked and useless now just like all the others. "No," Star whispered in defeat. Feeling tears flood her vision.

She heard another scream from Marco behind her, the pain and terror in her voice, shattering something deep inside her. It couldn't end like this. She promised. She promised she would protect him. She promised they would escape together. She promised the Lady would never harm him.

She had failed him.

Marco was now at the mercy of the Lady and who knew what cruel fate awaited him.

But-

Star felt a new energy coursing in her body, the blind terror and anguish vanishing in an instant.

But it wasn't over yet.

Anger, determination, resolve. These were the emotions that now channeled through her tired body.

She could still save him.

Star rose to her feet, feeling a power unlike anything she had ever experienced flowing through her veins. It was warm and safe and... right.

She could still end this nightmare.

Light was beginning to shine from Star's body, causing her to glow and light up the massive room. She slowly turned to face the Lady, who had begun to back away in discomfort, watching the girl closely now. Star could feel her fear.

The girl in yellow sucked in a deep breath before shouting in the most terrifying and commanding tone she could muster, "Let. Marco. Go. NOW!"

Then with a simple raise of Star's hand, a spiral of bright white energy shot out towards the Lady. The woman held up her hands in feeble defense, her own darkness rising up around her as some form of barrier. But it did no good. In a matter of seconds, Star's light had completely consumed the darkness and now surrounded the Lady herself. The woman let out a desperate scream of both anger and pain, before falling to the ground, finally releasing Marco from her cruel hold.

Still, the light attacked her, hitting her again and again as dark smoke poured from her beaten body. Then finally, the brightest and biggest blast of energy yet spiraled up towards the ceiling before arching back down and headed right for the Lady. It was as if an explosion had gone off, Star and Marco pushed back by the force of the attack, Star covering her face with her hands as she waited for the power to end.

Then it was dark again. But the room was significantly less cold. And as Star slowly lowered her arms, staring in the direction the Lady had just been in, she felt instant relief to see the Lady was gone. There was nothing left of her, only her torn kimono and the cracked remains of her mask was left. Star had done it. She had killed the master of the Maw.

Star let out a deep sigh, unable to believe it was really over. She and Marco were finally free.

At the thought of her companion, she quickly jumped to her feet, spotting Marco's prone form a few feet away from her. The fear returned as she ran over to check on him, screaming, "Marco!" The moment she was at his side, she began to shake him, still screaming his name, hoping she hadn't been too late. Please let him be okay, she begged.

Finally, Marco peeked open his eyes and let out a pained groan but it was the most wonderful sound Star had ever heard. The boy slowly raised his head, staring at her with half-lidded eyes, as he asked, "Wha happened? Did we win?"

Star felt hot tears stream down her face as she pulled him into a tight hug, holding him firmly against her chest, sobbing in relief. "I got you, Marco," was all she managed to choke out, soaking in his warmth and finally allowing herself to relax after the scare.

Marco wrapped his own arms around the girl, hugging her back and giving her a gentle squeeze to try and help soothe her. The two raincoat-wearing kids just lay like that for a few moments, holding each other and crying in relief that they were still together and in one piece.

Finally, Star pulled away staring into the face of her closest and best friend as she said, "I'm so happy you're alright."

"Yeah, thanks to you," the boy replied, though he sounded tired. "How did you beat her anyway?"

"I don't really know," Star answered. She hadn't really considered how she had done what she had done. She had been too preoccupied with saving Marco to really think about how she was saving him. "When I saw the Lady hurting you, I just felt this power, way down deep inside me. And next thing I know I'm glowing and light is shooting out from me."

Marco stared at her in disbelief, asking hesitantly, "Soooo, what like magic?"

Star shrugged. "I guess."

Marco considered this for a moment, before asking, "Can you do it again?"

Star paused, biting her lip, before saying, "I'll try."

She rose to her feet, Marco doing the same and the two kids held their breath as Star raised a hand. She took a few deep breaths, trying to force that same feeling from before to come out, hoping to draw on the power deep inside her. After a few seconds, she felt a warmth in her chest, which quickly filled her whole body, her form once more illuminated by pure light.

Marco stared at her open-mouthed in complete disbelief his friend was doing magic, right before his eyes. But after a couple of seconds, he exclaimed, "Star! You can do magic!"

"Yeah, I guess I can," Star replied with a grin. It felt good to use this power, she felt strong. Like she could do anything. Like nothing could stand in her way.

"I-I can't believe it!" Marco shouted, gripping his hair tightly in his hands. "My best friend has been magic this whole time!"

Star giggled, her cheeks flushing at her friend's praise when a new thought came to her. Her smile quickly turned into a look of determination and resolve. "Marco, do you know what this means?"

The boy shook his head, dumbfounded.

A smile slowly spread on her lips as she said the words she had been dreaming about since waking up on this floating nightmare. "We can finally leave."

...

The doors to the elevator slid open, revealing a giant room filled with greedy Guests, still stuffing their faces, just like they had been before. None aware their hostess was no more. Marco kept close to Star, his eyes scanning the room nervously, tightening his grip on the Nome he was holding, being Kelly. He could see the large door on the other side of the room, closed tight, their one chance at escape blocked by a thousand monsters.

Star, however, showed no fear stepping out of the elevator, light still swirling around her like a barrier. She took slow, careful strides into the room her eye on the goal ahead. Marco reluctantly followed behind her, making sure to stay as close to Star as possible while herding the Nomes to do the same. Marco jumped as he heard a grunt, turning to see a Guest eying him hungrily from his seat at one of the large tables. He screamed and tried to back away as it reached out a grubby hand to grab him but a simple turn of the head from Star froze the beast in its tracks.

Light swirled around for a second before a crack was heard and it slumped over dead.

Marco took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, looking over to Star in disbelief. He saw her smile at him from underneath the hood, telling him softly, "Don't worry I'm not gonna let anything touch you."

Marco felt an odd relief at that and began following after Star at a bit quicker a pace. A few lamps to Stars side shattered the moment she walked by, bits of glass scattering on the floor but Star didn't seem to notice or care. Her attention was on the Guests around them, anytime one of them would even look their way, Star would turn to them and a second later they would fall over lifelessly. It was both terrifying and beautiful to Marco, seeing Star this powerful and in control. It was a feeling that neither of them had ever felt before. They had always been at the bottom of the food chain and Marco couldn't even imagine how Star must be feeling at that moment.

None of the Guests seemed to notice their companions' corpses dropping dead around them, too blinded by their greed to even look up from their plates and the few who did only seemed to do so when they spotted the two kids and their gnomes, their fat, sluggish bodies reaching out to claim their meals, only to be stopped by a single turn from Stars head.

Finally, the group made it to the other side of the room, leaving a pile of dead monsters and shattered glass in their wake, standing in front of the large, eye-shaped door that would finally free them for this nightmarish ship. The two stared at it for a moment and Marco was about to ask how they were going to get it open when the doors slowly slid open on their own. Marco turned to Star, seeing if she had something to do with it, but her face remained blank.

Beautiful, glorious light filled the entrance and Marco blinked both from being partially blinded and from the tears that dripped down his cheeks. It was better than he had imagined, as he felt the sunlight warming his cold, tired body. Next to him, Star pulled down her hood and the boy turned to his companion in surprise. The blond just smiled, the first real smile he thought he had ever seen on her lips and he returned the wide grin with one of his own, pulling back his own hood.

"Ready?" Star asked in a gentle voice, her blue eyes dancing and her blond hair glowing in the sunlight.

Marco nodded, replying in a confident tone, "As I'll ever be."

The two-faced forward again, now able to make out the long staircase leading up to a flood of beautiful light, and they silently linked hands, before starting up the staircase. The gnomes ran around them excitedly as they ascended the cold, metal steps. The two never looked away from the light though, both craving to disappear onto it, to finally be safe from the nightmarish ship.

As Star and Marco reached the top steps, they could hear lapping waves and seagull calls, they could smell the saltwater in the air and feel a warm breeze against their skin, all these sensations combined sending goosebumps down their spines. And as they took that final step into the light and off their dreaded prison forever, they both squeezed each other's hands tight. Star and Marco had no idea what new life awaited them outside the Maw but they no longer feared the unknown, cause no matter what happened, whatever dangers or joys awaited them, they were safe in the knowledge that no matter what they would always have each other.

Now and forever.

And no nightmare could ever change that.

[mrevaunit42]

Butterfly, Star Butterfly (Kingsman Au part 1)

hello everyone, Mr.E here after a seriously long time of not writing full stories. Sorry, life has been pretty chaotic for me and draining. I’m fine but it’s been hard to sit down and actually write a story but here I am with my newest story and letting you know despite the fact Halloween is over, I am still going to write a few stories for starcoween (a totally silly event I made up forever ago) After that i might do a part 2 to this, might give out some birthday gifts I owe. Not really sure yet but we shall see. 

Story Prompt: Star Butterfly is a young woman that works for Disney, a humble yet successful shop located in her hometown of Mewni that sells various merchandise based on their popular retellings of classic fairy tales. At least that’s what they want you to think. In truth, they are an agency operating at the highest levels of discretion, protecting the world from any and all threats but this time Mewni’s the target and the secret organization is going to need some help.   

I absolutely love the film Kingsman. For those who don’t know it is a British spy film that’s kind of a mix of my fair lady, James Bond and some playful satire of genre. and I couldn’t resist making an au of it. that being said, it is a rated R film so don’t watch it if you’re not supposed to! Seriously just read this story and wait. Oh btw there is some cussing in this story but that’s it really I didn’t follow the plot of the movie one to one and it’s more on a personal level than it was in the film. and Yes I totally poked fun at the codenames and Disney. 

so that’s it for me. Have an amazing week! I will try to finish either Monster Hunter Marco or the corpse bride au this week along with the next two nova chapters. I was also thinking of putting up some au ideas I came up in case somebody needed some ideas or inspiration for drawing or writing and the spiderman homecoming au notes that me and my good friend @hains-mae came up with if anyone is curious. Not sure yet. oh btw she’s taking commissions if anyone is interested. I hope you enjoy the story and have a good one!

notification squad: @nerdymetalhead @hipster-rapunzel @artgirllullaby @ladyxgilex @thefandombytes @minthia-ren @burstingamerworld @isolated-frequencies

“and in other news, Lucitor electronics is proud to present….”

Click. Silence filled the void left behind the radio.

Star Butterfly stared longingly outside the cab window, the soft pitter patter of the rain echoed dully against metal was a soft, relaxing music to the 25 year old.

When was the last time she simply drove for the sake of driving? When did she last roam the streets of her beloved Mewni without the constraint of staring at minutes tick away? When was the last time she wore something she chose of her own free will rather than an obligated, yet admittedly stylish, uniform.

She was wearing her usual outfit for work: black blazer jacket with a white long sleeved collared shirt underneath, an elegant pink tie alongside practical black work pants and matching brogues loafers.

“Miss?” her cabbie driver called to her softly “Miss, you have phone call from your mother.”

“Oh!” Star slipped out her self imposed dazed and reach into her jacket pocket “Thank you John, I’ll take it….”

Star blinked quizzically upon realizing she was staring at her own reflection who held an equally surprised face: Her driver had already rose the divider between them so she could take the call in private.

“What a considerate bloke” Star murmured to herself, unfolding the thick black rimmed square glasses and slipping them over her eyes “I suppose I should give him a raise.”

“Give who a raise dear? The driver?” A familiar yet controlled voice called out to her as a ghostly image appeared in the center of the spacious vehicle.

Even the cartoonish greenish blue tint of her mother’s image did nothing to dampen the woman’s rather imposing stature: Full black coat, collared shirt, vest and tie. A long business skirt given her old fashion tendencies and unnecessarily high heels. Her periwinkle blue hair wrapped in a practical braid.

“I assure you Agent Rapunzel he is well paid for his services” Moon blinked in confusion, her eyes narrowing at Star’s surroundings “You’re not at the shop?”

“Well mum…” Star began only to falter when Moon rose a stern finger.

“Names Agent. You never know who could be listening.”

Star rolled her eyes, earning her a scowl from her mother.

“Headmistress Aurora, we’re on highly secure channels. I highly doubt anyone is currently listening.”

Moon shook her head disappointingly “Spoken like a true agent. When you get to be in my position and age, you’ll find some caution is wise.”

“Yes Mu….Headmistress. I apologize. I’m running late to shop on the count that I took a bit of a nap. Just came in from America you know. Lovely town by the name of Echo Cre…”

“I’m aware where you have been Agent Rapunzel” Moon cut in “I’ve read your mission report. Excellent work.”

“Thank you”

“Try not to be late from now on. Grumpy is a bit on edge lately.”

“Lately?” Star rose an eyebrow.

Moon pursued her lips “More than usually. Do not antagonize the poor woman love.”

“Swear on my honor she won’t hear a word out of me gov.”

Moon frowned, torn between chastising her daughter once more or simply leaving it at that.

With a flick, her mother’s image vanished from view and Star was left with her once again empty cabbie. Star remained silent, rubbing her eyes tiredly as the rain filled the void with its melody once more.

Star wasn’t too surprised the shop was still fairly busy despite the less than ideal weather conditions. Everyone near and far wanted to buy something from the humble yet widely successful Disney store.

Not that Star could blame them: Stunning outfits, well crafted toys and high quality items based on their fairy tale inspired line of merchandise. It brought in a pretty penny and was a convenient cover for the memory of a single person to blur among the countless people that could be found within on any given day.

Star patted the tired cashier reassuringly on the shoulder as she made her way past into the break room which was empty save a lone, still steaming mug of coffee sitting on the table.

“We need to really cut back the hours” Star muttered to herself, sliding the cup off to the side and gently pressing the underside of the table “Poor dearies are running themselves ragged.” A small compartment hidden within frame flipped into existence and began to boot up its programming.  

“Please remain still” a smooth, calming robotic voice asked politely while a soft green hue softly basked Star in its glow. Star complied with the machine’s request, sitting as unmoving as stone as the sensor began scanning the room with a near invisible beam.

“Identity confirmed” The voice spoke cheerily “Agent Rapunzel, please stand by”

Star rolled her eyes as the entire room slowly descended into further into the earth, the flimsy painted walls of the break room becoming smoothly elegant granite sides.

“This is so bloody unnecessary” Star muttered to herself, waiting patiently for the elevator “Whose bright idea was to turn an entire room into an elevator? A closet would’ve suffice. Typical spies.”

“I know right? It’s almost like they were overcompensating for something” a familiar voice jokingly teased “Spies, right?”

“Spies” Star nodded agreement, rising to her feet and enveloping her fellow, similarly dressed agent in a firm hug “How are you Jackie?”

Jackie clicked her tongue “Agent Rapunzel, did you just break protocol?”

“Only if you sell me out Agent Ariel” Star replied with a grin.

Jackie gave a good nature smirk “Like I would Agent Rapunzel. How are you?”

“I’m alright” Star lied “And yourself? How was Japan?”

Jackie gave a noncommittal shrug “You know how it is: No time to see the sights and there on business only.”  

Star felt the twinge of longing and for a moment, the mask fell.

“Star?” Jackie asked quizzically “Are you okay?”

“Jackie….” Star began slowly “Do…you miss it?”

“It?” Jackie was confused what Star was getting at “I’m not sure I’m following….”

Star let out a defeated sigh “Don’t worry about. Just a rouge thought. Shall we pop in and see what’s bothering Grumpy?”

Star brushed past Jackie, ignoring her friend’s concerned gaze.

Grumpy was not grumpy at Star’s tardiness: She was furious about it.

Margaret Skullnick, codename Grumpy,  was an older, trollish woman who never smiled in a day of her life. Unlike the more traditional Headmistress, Grumpy was far more lax with her appearance: overly bright red hair, two golden hoops on her ears, built like a muscular tank and had unnaturally pointed teeth.

“You are late Rapunzel” she glared deeply with growl.

Star rose her hands defensively “Ariel was here, you could’ve started without me.”

Jackie shook her head “Don’t drag me into this, I just work here.”

“Sit. NOW” Skullnick snarled, barring her teeth viciously.

Star and Jackie practically dropped into their seats.

“We have a problem” Skullnick began, making her way over to the monitor hung over the fireplace.

“Don’t we always?” Star jested

Skullnick ignored her “The criminal underworld is murmuring. Loudly I might add.”

Jackie and Star shared a worried glance. While both knew what the code-phase meant, neither had ever expected to ever actually hear the word spoken outloud. The two women straightened up in their seats at once

“Murmuring?” Jackie leaned closer “What could possibly cause that?”

“We don’t know” Skullnick answered truthfully “But the fact remains that every single mole, sleeper agent and informant has been relying the same information to us is troubling. Someone is preparing for something big and for the first time in recorded history, we haven’t the foggiest idea what it could be.”

Skullnick tapped at away at the tablet in her hands. Mewni, in all its splendid glory, appeared before them.

“What we do know is many of the murmurs repeat Mewni over and over again. It is more than possible this is the target.”

“Home?” Star rose to her feet “We need every available agent on the case! If the underground murmurs, I cannot imagine what horrible plan someone has set in motion.”

“That’s just it Agent Rapunzel” Skullnick stared directly at Star “I’m looking at all available agents.”

Jackie and Star looked at one another.

“No matter how serious the situation is” Skullnick explained “The fact remains we still have other operations that must be done. Threats to national and international security do not just come one at a time you know and all we have are rumors. Until solid proof is obtained, we cannot simply pull agents from actual credible threats.”

The girls nodded grimly.

“Go to the ground” Skullnick told them “Use every resource we have available. The informants are scouring the city for clues but so far no luck. If this threat is real, then someone is going to an awfully lot of trouble to ensure no one has all the details. And once you have a lead, no matter how small, contact me. I rather be safe than wrong. Understood?”

“Yes Grumpy” The two spoke in unison

“Dismissed.”

“Mewni under attack?” Star muttered to herself in a daze “That’s a lot more terrifying than I’d like to admit.”

“Agreed” Jackie nodded “Do you think the threat is real?”

Star pursed her lips “I don’t know. I want to believe mother is simply overreacting but I’ve never been through such a short briefing before. We don’t even have leads”

“Admittedly that is highly concerning” Jackie scratched her chin “We better work quickly. The sooner we discover or debunk this, the sooner we can have a strategy ready.”

“Alright, I’ll head over to the informant’s house” Star began as stepped towards the exit “A fresh pair of eyes may be needed in case they missed anything…umm do you remember where they live? I swear they keep changing addresses every other month. It’s so….”

Star turned back to her fellow agent only to find Jackie fidgeting uneasily, guilt dancing in her eyes.

“You know” Jackie spoke softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear “Maybe I should go to the informant? I mean I haven’t seen them in such a long time and it’s pretty rude of me….”

“Jackie….”

Jackie bit her lip as she rubbed her sleeve anxiously.

“I…might know a guy who could help us” she murmured uneasily.

“That’s great!” Star felt a wave of relief wash over her “when can you meet up with him darling?”

Jackie remained quiet, her eyes downcast and forlorn.

“Jackie?” Star placed a comforting hand on her shoulder “What is it love? What’s the matter?”

Jackie took a deep, calming breath “He’s my ex. A bloke by the name Marco Diaz….”

“Oh….” Star muttered dumbly before the familiarity of the name hit her full force “….oh…”

Star remembered now where she heard the name before: Marco was Jackie’s boyfriend back from a few years ago when the two of them were aspiring Disney trainees. He ran with some troublemakers and did some odd jobs for unsavory people but on the whole meant well and was trying to leave his checkered past behind him. As far as she could tell, Jackie was rather happy with him. If everything had gone according to plan, Jackie might’ve married him one day…..

But fate had other plans in store. Being a Disney agent came with a heavy cost and that cost was a personal life. Marco grew increasingly suspicious of Jackie’s absences and trips but telling him the truth was out of the question so Jackie was left with no choice but to break up with him, claiming college was just too overwhelming for her to handle both it and a steady boyfriend.

Jackie used to lament how painful it was to watch his hurt face twist into a stony indifference and while she finally moved on from him, she couldn’t shake the guilt she felt about breaking his heart. He hadn’t deserved it but Jackie was left with no other choice.

“I can’t see him Star” Jackie admitted, tears lightly forming in her eyes “I’ve done far too much to him already, asked too much of him….I can’t put him through anymore…..”

“It’s alright. I’ll speak to him, alright? Do you know where I can find him?”

Star frowned at the locationn before her, eying the half cracked windows and the faded brick exterior warily

“Drunkard’s Haven” Star read the sign distastefully “I should’ve hazard a guess it would be a dive. I reckon I’ll run into an unruly lot. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Star held a firm grip on her umbrella as she took a deep breath in and pushed open the door.

The interior of the bar was dim while a light hazy smoke wafted through the air. The illuminations of various signs promoting drinks, teams and other goods. Empty mugs and half slumped, dazed drunks filled the tables. While certainly not the best pub Star has ever been in, she had seen far worse.

Star strolled up to the counter confidently, ignoring the shuffling of drunken zombies who were slowly taking notice of her disturbance.

“Hello!” Star gave a cheery wave.

The bartender awkwardly returned the greetings.

“I don’t usually get your lot around here” the bartender spoke bluntly.

“What, pretty ladies?”

“No, posh folks.” he gruffly replied.

“Ah….” Star gracelessly replied “Well your lovely pub is tucked away in some off beaten street, bit hard to come by.”

“What will you have miss?”

“Information actually. I’m looking for someone.”

It was amazing how a simple sentence could alter one’s environment: What was once a relaxed stupor became tense and suspicious as the drunks slowly shook themselves awake.

The bartender’s eyes narrowed distrustfully “And why would a pretty thing such as yourself be looking for someone?”

Star beamed “An old friend of mine. Heard he was wondering around these parts. Figured he might fancy a bit of stroll for old times sake.”

“And who…” the bartender rose an eyebrow “are you looking for specifically?”

“A bloke named Marco Diaz.”

Star fought the instinct to simply strike at the now fully awaken drunks, their eyes wide with anger and greed as they mindlessly shuffled to their feet.

“It seems I’ve said the magic words” Star mused, glancing over the other occupants of the building carefully “Bit in trouble is he?”

 “You could say that.” The bartender murmured with a glare “The local patron is not happy with the quality of his services. Mr. Diaz owes him a bit of scratch which is not including the product he was told to deliver. The fact that Mr. Diaz hasn’t been returning our boss’s phone calls is a bit concerning. They had a previous agreement that your friend has not been honoring.”

“Ah” Star gave a strained smile “I can see how that could certainly paint him in such a negative view. Well I rather guess I should be off no? I didn’t mean to so rudely awaken all your customers.”

“Actually” the bartender spoke with a menacing edge as the others closed in “Do you mind if we have a bit of a chat about your friend Marco?”

Star sighed dramatically as the dull thud of the door’s lock being clicked into place echoed through the now quiet pub.

“I rather not” Star grin charmingly

“You don’t have a choice love.”

Star shook her head disappointingly “Not respecting a lady’s decision? Rather brutish of you.”  

“Sorry darling. We’re not much on manners here.”

Star clicked her tongue “Manners maketh man. Ever heard that before?”

Silence was their answer.

“Well then” Star cracked her fingers “Let me show you how to be proper gentlemen.”

It was satisfying to watch the bartender’s face slip from cocky smugness to full blown panic as Star lashed out, gripping the back of his head tightly and smashing it against the counter. Bartender staggered backwards, a river of blood dribbling down his face and staining his clothes as he weakly clutched at his now broken nose.

“Rule the first” Star began, pivoting on the balls of her feet and driving her fist into the nearest unsuspecting throat “Always respect people. It’ll get you further in life than if you’re an arsehole”

One of the drunks lunged at her but the seasoned agent hooked the handle of her umbrella over his wrist and dragged his fist into another of his comrades and sent them both reeling to the floor.

“Oi what’s the matter with you bitch?!” the nearest drunk rambled at her before pulling back his fist.

“A true gentleman never curses at a lady” Star replied with a cocky grin while she dug her knee as far as she could into his stomach “in fact a true gentleman never would need to curse. Much more colorful ways to express your anger and frustration darlings.”

Star stepped back, narrowly avoiding the knife that swung into view as she twirled her umbrella upright like a sword.

Her foe stumbled uneasily, brandishing his deadly weapon in a rather unimpressive fashion.

“A true gentleman” Star went on, effortlessly dodging an unfocused stab sent her way

“also carries himself with grace and respect not only for himself but for others as well”

The drunkard’s attack were wide and too far to actually threaten the secret agent who playfully batted the blade away with her pseudo-sword. Her opponent growled furiously but Star’s laidback defense proved too much for the inebriated man.

Star rolled her eyes before delivering a solid whack to his skull and rendered him unconscious.

“Well then loves” Star said with a smug satisfaction “I best be off. Nothing here but a waste of time and effort.”

Star’s ear twitched as the dull sound of metal scraping wood filled the air and for the first time since the battle began, her instincts took hold.

Star flung her umbrella wide open, clutching the hilt as tightly as she could while making herself as small of a target as possible. The video feed sprung to life in a strange muted tint. She noticed the bartender lifting something to eye level but Star had little time to hazard a guess when she heard a deep click and a deafening bang.

Star was nearly knocked off her feet as her shield violently shuddered, the image blurred and static for a moment before resuming its live feed of what was occurring in front of the weaponized rain deterrent

The muggy feed showed the bartender giving a condescending smirk her way, pumping the shotgun in his hand for another shot.

Star held on as the metal joints of the umbrella groaned under the next volley, the smooth clothed surface becoming tattered and worn as an empty cartridge hollowly clattered against the floor.

“You” Another shot, the umbrella began to bend inward “Bitch” half the feed froze “You think you could come in here” Star could hear the fabric being ripped to shreds “and just knock us around silly? Well you got another thing….”

Star was saved by the most unlikely of sounds: The gentle rapping of a fist against the bolted pub door.

The bartender jumped, spontaneously aiming toward and pulled the trigger without remembering he hadn’t loaded the next shell into the gun. A satisfying hollow click was the most beautiful noise Star could ever imagine.

Star wasted no time: She flung her near useless gadget to the side and made a mad dash directly towards the fumbling bartender, his hands nervously attempting to load more ammo into his useless weapon.

His eyes went wide with fear as Star approached and in a last ditch attempt to protect himself, he held the barrel tightly and howled in agony as he recoiled from the still burning hot metal.

Star tried not to enjoy herself too much as she clobbered him with a solid hook, sending the dazed bartender sprawling into the wall of alcoholic drinks. He, along with his products, tumbled to the floor and remained still.

“That” Star murmured softly, wiping the nonexistent dirt from her suit “concludes today’s lesson.”

Star blew a strain out of her hair, picking up her discarded umbrella as she strolled towards the door, body tense for whatever lay on the other side.

She undid the bolt slowly and calmly opened the door

“Oi Ralphy, about time you open the door mate, was near freezing my arse out…you’re not Ralphy.”

Star’s heart leapt a little without warning as she found herself face to face with her target.

The police photos did not do the young man before her justice: In his mug shot he wearing plain clothes, his brown hair disheveled as his brown eyes glared angrily at the person photographing him. In person, his brown hair was a little longer and tucked under his black beanie. He wore a white undershirt which was covered by a red hoodie which was further covered by a simple black jacket. Laid back jeans and poorly choice sneakers for the current weather rounded out his attire and while Star was certainly unsure if this was the very same Marco Diaz from the photo, her glasses compared the two images and confirmed a match.

Marco shifted nervously under Star’s silent gaze “Umm…sorry luv, I was confusing you for another bloke.” he scratched his neck sheepishly “A-are you lost? Because I’ve never seen any woman willingly come in here before. The environment is a bit toxic and stale of piss ale, misogyny and outdated ideals.”

The soft pattering of rain was the only response Marco received

“Listen darling” Marco whispered with a hint of concern in his voice “These aren’t exactly good people. I reckon it’s best if you move along and pretend you didn’t see nuthing.”

“Mr. Diaz I assume?” Star asked with a preppy edge.

Marco’s jaw twitched anxiously “….maybe….depends on whose looking.”

“I would like to have a bit of sit and chat with you. If that’s alright.”

Marco shook his head, unable to keep the displeasure from his face while he chuckled “Yeah, see about that…Umm I’m a bit unfamiliar with you and you are pretty but you’re a bit too posh for my taste. Look, I just need to pop in for a sec and talk to Ralphy about an extension.”

“Don’t worry Mr. Diaz” Star replied with a matter of fact tone “You have your extension.”

Star noticed Marco’s frame tense, his jaw locked as Star gently pulled open the door all the way through, gesturing inward in a playful manner.

“Oh that’s not fucking good.” Marco stared dumbfounded at the bodies that littered the floor, the low pained moans that wailed from within.

Marco locked eyes with Star, completely unnerved by her cheerful smile and relaxed posture.

“Well Marco?” Star gave him a flirty smile “Fancy a bit of a date?”

Marco bit his lip, queasily swaying from side to side before breaking into a run.

“I’m pretty sure what you did qualified as assault.”

Star clicked her tongue disappointingly, her eyes rascally as Marco squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

“I am hurt you didn’t want to take me out Marco” Star’s tone was conversational yet amused

“Well you’re a bit 6’s and 7's” Marco replied in a tense tone, rubbing his sore arm as his eyes darted around for anyone who could help but the cafe’s patrons were preoccupied with staying warm and what delicious meal did they want to try next than noticing the hostage situation before them .

“Hi!” Marco nearly jumped out of his skin as the waiter greeted them “What will we be having today?”

“Usual for me” Star grinned happily “and you honey, what would you like?”

Marco looked at Star, glanced at the waiting waiter then back to Star once again.

Was this a trap? A joke? Was the waiter in on whatever this was? Was everyone else? What the hell did he get himself caught up in? Was Ralphy going to blame him for crazy face’s actions? How the hell was he supposed to pay off his debt now? He was in some serious sh…

“Sir?” The waiter politely interrupted his train of thoughts “Your order?”

Marco stared blankly at the waiter “The usual….I mean her usual, I don’t usually come in to places like this. No offense.”

“None taken” The waiter rolled his eyes before disappearing into the kitchen.

“So whose on your payroll?” Marco asked breathlessly, hands clutching the edges of the table tightly “These your people? Gonna bloody kill me without a second thought? I don’t what you think I’m caught up in but I didn’t mess with no one.”

“Really?” Star seemed unmoved by Marco’s claims “Because according to your file, you’ve been arrested several times for assault, trespassing, breaking and entering and disorderly conduct.”

Marco pursed his lips “Yous with the bobbies or something? Look, I haven’t done anything. Whatever you think I did, I didn’t. After the last time, I got the message loud and clear: Stay on the straight and narrow or go to jail and I ain’t doing hard time because some crazy got me mixed up for someone else.”

Star leaned back into her seat “What did you need extension for?”

Marco’s mouth tightened “That’s a bit of personal business I’m afraid luv. And if you ain’t a cop, I’m not saying a bloody word.”

“Marco, I’m trying to help you.”

“Help me? By getting a confession out of me?” Marco snarled quietly “I ain’t going to jail just because you mixing up crooks and me.”

“Marco” Star whispered gently

“….” Marco remained silent, torn between fact and lies.

“Look” Star brushed her hair behind her ear “I’m not a cop. I need help with something but if I can help you out too, I don’t mind.”

Marco shifted anxiously, his voice low and subdued “Alright. So there’s a local….sponsor who likes to trade money for favors…..take this here, drop that there, move this across town, just….stuff.”

“Mhm” Star nodded but said nothing.

“As you can no doubt tell by my outstanding record” Marco went on “I’m having a bit of trouble coming up with the scratch I need for college. So I figured one…tiny little…delivery wouldn’t hurt….”

“Except it never made it, did it Marco?”

Marco gulped fearfully “I tried. I swear I tried but I was running out options. You high and mighty types judge us effortlessly without a care why we do what we do. I just wanted a clean life but evidently it was too much to ask for and now I’m up shit creek without a boat. I owe money I don’t have to a person you don’t want to be owing to and I got no way to pay it back. And college?”

Marco scoffed dismissively

“That’s more of a far off dream than seeing Jackie again.”

“Jackie?” Star asked curiously.

Marco’s face flushed red “Don’t you worry about that. Look, I don’t know what you were expecting looking for me but I ain’t got anything for you and I doubt you got anything for me.”

Star felt a surge of panic as Marco began to rise from his chair, his defeated weary face tugging at Star’s heartstrings and before she could help herself, the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

“I can get you the money!”

Star mentally smacked herself for blurting it out but it had done the trick: Marco stood there, a mixture of disbelief yet intrigue etched onto his face.

“You? You don’t even know how much I need bruv.” Marco scoffed yet remained still

“Take a seat and find out.”

Marco bit his cheek, unable to choose between the sweet temptation of the door and the alluring of the pretty stranger.

“Alright” Marco relented as he slowly returned to his seat “let’s say I do buy into this whole your my way out of this shitstorm I’m in cuz. If you ain’t a cop and you ain’t a crook, just what are you?”

“A Disney agent” Star replied with the smuggest of grins.

“A what now?” Marco shook his head out of its stupor “Hang on, you taking a piss? You ’re telling me you work at that glorified fairy tale shop what sells those cutesy little knick knacks and thingamajigs to fawning tourists?”

“Yes.” Star straightened in her chair “We belong to a secret organization that operates at the highest levels of discretion. Our mission is to ensure the safety and safeguard the well being of  international security and stability of our planet.”

“You….are…mental” Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly “A'ight I’m done. I don’t know what sales pitching you trying to sell or if you’re having a bit fun with me but I’m done. I got far bigger problems than a mental polish girl and her make believe…”

“Here Mr. Diaz” Star gently removed her glasses and slid them over to him “Take the red pill. It’s a real eye opener”

Marco raised an eyebrow “Really? Outdated jokes luv? You’re lucky yous cute or else you wouldn’t be getting fa….”

Marco’s jaw slackened, his eyes wide as he gazed at the world through Star’s lens but he didn’t see the beautiful 25 year old woman sitting across from him, knowing smirk and gaze but rather a series of complex codes, phrases, jargon that made no sense to him. In the upper left hand corner was a live video feed of someone narrowly avoiding gunfire and next to that the glasses focused on Star’s face, zooming and enhancing as they began to run a facial recognition scan.

“Agent Rapunzel?” Marco murmured dumbfounded before blindly groping the air as Star snatched back her glasses.

“Proof enough Mr. Diaz?”

Marco stared blankly at the secret agent, unable to wrap his mind around what just occurred.

“……why do you need me?” Marco asked bluntly “If you these James Bond types, why you gotta go looking through the gutter for help?”

“Simply put” Star sighed anxiously “Something big is going to happen here on Mewni. Soon but aside the fact we’re getting reports indicating Mewni is the intended target, we have nothing else.”

“So you need crooks who’ve got their ear to the ground to help you” Marco nodded in understanding “Why me though? I ain’t exactly the most thuggish and my record isn’t the worst compared to some other blokes.”

Star pursed her lips, conflicted between telling a lie or revealing Jackie had sent her his way.

“Never mind”

Star blinked, unsure what just happened.

“It doesn’t matter” Marco told her “Either you did your homework, someone just told you I was the biggest loser in town or you just lucked out…..so what do you need from me?”

“Well Marco, heard any big scores coming in?”

“Big scores?” Marco rolled his eyes “You spies are really out of touch with reality. No one calls them that. You might as well be running down the streets screaming how you got your life savings in your pocket! See how long that’ll last you.”

“Ooookay” Star frowned “Have you heard anything big coming in?”

“Nah uh princess, that’s not how this works.”

Star frowned “Then how does this work Mr. Diaz?”

“…I want out.”

Star stared at Marco, unsure what exactly he meant by that.

“Mean…” Marco coughed hesitantly “I don’t want…this…” he gestured to himself pathetically “…Anymore. I….I don’t want none of this. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder in case some thugs happen to stumble on me. I miss visiting my parents. You know how hard it is not to drive their street and check up on them outta fear some nasty blokes are casing place, waiting for you to show up?”

Star thought of her mother and how often she was tucked away in some sort of secret location that only she and Miss Skullnick knew. She thought of the last time she actually saw her mother, hugged her, talked to her more beyond the scope of business.

Star gave a short but understanding nod.

“The money I’ll figure out” Marco told her gently “This ain’t the first time I’ve had to make up some scratch I ain’t got but college….they’re ain’t going to let me in, not without some recommendation and if you being them cloak and dagger companies.”

“Wait a minute” Star cut in immediately “You can’t just…”

“Whoa, chill princess” Marco waved his hand “I didn’t mean make me one of them types or nothing. Shit, I doubt I’d be kept alive two seconds during your job. But you gotta have some pull right? Ways to make them posh academic types look the other way?”  

Star shifted anxiously in her seat: She did in fact have a way to grant Marco’s request. However, it wasn’t as simple as calling the school of his choice and waving her I’m a secret agent privilege but rather…

“Do we have a deal?”

Star bit her lip. This was the closest lead she was going to get and while she would normally play for the country card, she had a sneaking suspicion Marco wouldn’t care if something happened to Mewni. Too many bad memories….

“Well do we have a deal?”

Star took a deep breath “Deal: You help stop whatever is going to happen and I’ll help you get a better life.”

“I felt like we’ve done this before” Marco muttered under his breath before offering his hand to Star.

Star stared at the gesture, unsure what exactly Marco wanted from her.

“Handsake? Ever heard of one miss posh?”

“Oh….oh” Star nodded in understanding “Of course I have Mr. Diaz, I was just confused why…”

“I don’t want you double crossing me” Marco interrupted hastily with a nervous tinge to his words “Promise me.”

“…Marco…”

“Promise me.”

Star felt guilt shift uneasily in the pit of her stomach at his plead, the vulnerability in his voice. He was at the end of his rope and he was literally taken a leap of faith on a complete stranger.

The wrong stranger.

“Okay Marco…” Star whispered softly “I promise.”

Marco’s eyes were no less guarded but his body visibly relaxed upon Star shaking his outstretched hand.

Marco took a deep calming breath “Okay. Rumor is Lucitor Electronics is looking for extra workers.”

Star raised a puzzled eyebrow “I’m sorry? I don’t quite follow…”

Marco shifted uncomfortably under Star’s gaze “Of course not, that’s the point. You see luv Lucitor Electronics have been known to….push certain products into the town. If they’re looking for extra workers then that’s street speak for we need something moved and we’ll pay great money for you to keep your moth shut.”

“Do you mean…?”

Marco gave a short nod “They’re asking for 2 dozen workers. That’s the largest amount of ‘help’ they’ve asked for in years. Only means one thing.”

“Whatever they’re moving” Star concluded “It’s big and probably dangerous.”

“Exactly. Next shipment comes in two weeks. Give me your number and I’ll contact you when it comes in.”

Star frowned at that idea but quickly scrawled her number on a napkin and gingerly handed it to Marco.

Marco seemed pretty unsure of himself. He rose to his feet quickly, his mouth opening and closing a few times before giving a curt nod and disappearing into the water veil that blanketed Star’s beloved Mewni.

Star carefully placed her glasses back onto her face, trying to ignore the sinking of her heart as Grumpy whispered quietly “She’s not going to be okay with this you know?”

“I know…..”

[mrevaunit42]

Hey everyone!

E here and i’m feeling  abit indecisive. So long story short, I am going to be writing 3 stories for Starcoween. It is a totally silly event I made 2 years ago where i write stories in a more dark setting? like a FNAF one i wrote and a twist on monster arm. Stuff like that. Yes I know Halloween is over but i didn’t do it last year either and i really promised myself I would this year soooo here i am and I’m not sure where to start so what better way than to ask my readers! I’ll leave this poll up till about 3-4 PM Pacific standard time tomorrow *it is currently 8ish at night* at which point I shall start on the highest voted story. If you want to leave a comment on this post that works too. I’d really appreciate it. thanks and have a great day!

http://www.strawpoll.me/14397332

[mrevaunit42]

Welcome to Mewni (Starcoween)

Hello everyone, Mr.E here finally catching up on Starcoween, a totally not made up by me Holiday event i do every October. I decided to actually post some of my stories here on tumblr if they’re short of enough. A lot of people know how much I love writing words. So this starcoween story is based on one of my favorite youtube shows Welcome to nightvale.

 for those of you who don’t know what it is, welcome to nightvale is a mock radio broadcast dealing with Lovecraftian, supernatural horror and dark humor. it’s a great show and something i always recommend because I am a sucker for that.  If you would like to experience yourself, here is a link to the first video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujksjzqrhys

This prompt was done by my good friend Anoymims on fanfiction and it was well done and excellent and I highly recommend that as a read too. it even has a second part this is her story. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11804502/3/Little-Talks I actually didn’t want do this because i didn’t want to seem like I am copying her but then i worked with it and remembered everyone has their own version of the story. 

In Anoymims, she portrays Mewni as canon Mewni and like Star never left. So in my version, Star is the radio operator as well and Mewni is more like nightvale, a modern city on Earth where supernatural things happen and people just seem to be whatever about it. 

I was thinking of doing this as a monthly thing but I’m not sure. Let me know what you think.

I hope you enjoy it and have a great week! hopefully there will be a lot more stories coming your way.

Do you hear that? It's the sound of silence.

Of a quiet universe whose existence will go on and on and on and on and on for eternity, whether you are around or not.

Welcome....to Mewni.

Hellllloooooo listeners! Star Butterfly here once again from the Miskatonic University radio station with today's news and happenings and boy do we have quite an eventful day.

As no doubt many of you have discovered, either through town gossip or the notification  the sheriff’s secret police have slipped into your mailboxes, purses and wallets, we have new visitors to our humble little town that we don't need to chase away with pitchforks, guns and giant library books! So exciting!

I've been told that the visitors are from a city called Echo Creek and they are here conducting scientific research. They are science people! Or as Jackie the intern keeps telling me, scientists.

I think Science people works waaaay better. Sounds more straight to the point. Scientists sounds like some kind of element on our 24 element periodic table and I don't know about you listeners but this girl is not ready to add another one to the list anytime soon.

The scientists are led by a Marco Ubaldo Diaz and they held a press conference at the most formal location in our city: The Sonic's right across from City Hall.

Marco spoke about how our city is the second most supernatural town in all of America with only... our rivals, ugh, Gravity Falls overtaking us in what he referred as “Things that shouldn't be doing that.”

He went on to say that he hopes to conduct his research without interfering with our town's daily routine and that he is simply here to observe and record his recordings.

Yes Jackie?

Okay.

Sorry folks! I was just handed a plain, beige envelope by Jackie. It seems to be from our beloved secret police. No doubt about Marco and his mysterious background.  They really need a vacation. They work way too hard.

….

….

Wow....he's is pretty cute. Like, honestly? He's really cute. Adorable even. Aww look at that little mole! SO CUTE! And that red hoodie looks so warm on him. I wonder if I can borrow it from him? It has been getting pretty chilly and he's already got a lab coat ontop of the hood.

It says here that Marco's favorite food is nachos. He has a minor in psychology and he knows karate.

…..

oooooo he's single.

I-I mean good! It means he is devoted to his work and his cause. Yep! That's all to that.

What was I talking about? Oh! Right, Maaaaarco. Hee.

So, with Marco's address to the our amazing citizens, he has no doubt already been tailed and secretly shadowed by the Sheriff’s secret police.

As we all are.

Oh! Remember when discussing private matters for long periods of time, please share some juicy gossip once in a while. The people watching you get bored easily.

I have a report here that strange helicopter has been flying around in circles over the Forest of Certain Death again. The black one with a shooting star scrawled across it? If that helicopter belongs to anyone, our mayor and stick in the mud mom of the year, Moon Butterfly implores you to please leash it! Or she will be forced to blow it out of the sky. Again, and we don't want a repeat of the last time our mayor shot it down.

I don't know about you but I still smell like popcorn butter and M&M's and the Ralph's has yet to reappear.

In other non-Marco news, which quite honestly isn't as interesting, the annual corn festival is nearly upon once again! Yay! And because it is that magical time of year where we make corn necklaces, corn earrings and of course, sharp corn spears to fend off the lizard people of the Mewnian Swap for their yearly invasion, I have to remind you of several safety tips to ensure that you and your love ones live to see another day.

tip number ooooone: Don't go out to the corn stalks alone.

During the invasion, most of our fighters will be too busy protecting the city from the waves of attacking lizard people and of course, the sheriff’s secret police will conducting counter offensive operations against them so no one will be able to come save you should you be bleeding out in those tall stalks of corn.

The second tip! When the invasion begins, please remember your safety bunker number.

Last year some people ended up in the wrong one and there were perfectly good bunkers completely empty. Look people, you paid for the bunkers with your tax money so just use them or what's the point of getting bunkers? Seriously, city hall even got the really nice ones for you.

Tip number Tres! Please do not go near John Pierce, you know the farmer? Fields.  Specially the Strawberry field. A demonic entity is scheduled to take up residency there next Wednesday and you know how it hates to be disturbed while feasting of animal flesh and strawberries. I mean I do too. I love sleeping but sometimes Janna my roommate just comes in! Slamming the door and I'm like “Ugh, Janna I'm sleeping here!” and she's like “Okay but like I need to borrow your spell book again” Seriously all alchemic majors are the same. Get your own spell book Janna! I know they're like 200 hundred dollars but I'm sure you can find it on E-bay or sell your soul or something.

Just go try.

Sorry about that, didn't mean to make it personal. Love you Janna but you really need to get your own stuff.

Oh ! Before I forget, remember if you are going to run for Cob King and Queen, please submit your resume and proof you have slain a librarian, a creature beyond the rows or something of an equal or more fearsome rating by this Tuesday.

And now a word from today's sponsor

We know you are empty.

A void deep within your soul that you cannot fill without pitiful, lesser worldly goods.

We know how you hunger to be fulfilled, to be whole, to banish the void, the emptiness that haunts you even in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun has not yet risen but the night still marches on. When the dark shadows of the unknown dance across the silhouettes of the living and what has been created by the hands of humanity.

We know your shame, your guilt of your dependency upon us but it's okay, we understand and we still care for you. We still love you and we shall always be here for you.

This message has been brought to you by Mcdonald's. We won't tell if you don't.

Oh, Jackie the intern tells me I have a special guest. Umm, sorry listeners, I will be but a moment. In the meantime, here's the weather.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoXp5LU1m9Q

Omg, omg, oh my god listeners, you'll never guess who just came by the station!

That's right! Marco!

Came to see me.

Me!

And he is even more handsome in person. That mole? Even cuter than I thought. And those eyes. I could stare into those light brown eyes allllll day.

Marco told me he wanted to meet up tomorrow. Since he's new to town, he needs someone to guide him and show him around and who better than your lovely host?

We also traded phone numbers and his ringtone is totes adorbs. It's Space Unicorn. I love Space Unicorn! He said he was being ironic but I think he's just embarrassed.

Listeners, I got his number! I got his number! YES! YES YES YES!

I mean, it's for keeping in touch, of course.

He might need me to pass on a message to all you amazing folks. As the second most listened radio program, it is my duty to keep us safe and more importantly, informed. In case you are wondering what is the first most listened to program, that of course is the weekly chanting of the shopkeepers, required listening as enforced by the vague yet menacing government agency.

I hear they're covering beatles this week. Should be good.

Well this is Star Butterfly, signing off! Good night listeners, good night and remember we....

Janna?

Wait, slow down! SLOW DOWN JANNA! What do you mean you borrowed my spellbook? You what?! Janna look at me, look at me Janna! How many times did I tell you not reanimate the dead? How many? What did you promise me? And what did you do? Animate the dead, exactly.

Sigh

you know what this means right? That's right. Go grab the shotgun and salt. I don't care if you saw a cute boy outside, go back to the dorm and grab the shotgun and salt. Wait, red hood? Nononononono no! Janna give me back his keys! No you can't keep them! JANNA!

Ugh, a little side note. If you are currently in Riverside or by Miskatonic University, please stay inside or travel heavily armed. We've been Janna'd again.

And now for shadowy puppetry with Ferguson. Please remember the key is to visualize.