#the first to die (lekmet)

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

Dialogue Practice #32

Seth: Well, if we're being fair, I'd be a hypocrite to kick you out. You're not the first magical girl to enjoy a few drinks here, and you probably won't be the last.

Hekapoo: Oh? So I guess the Tavern makes exceptions as long as we magic folk "behave ourselves"?

Seth: Something like that. All in all, you just have to be a halfway decent person. Like Celena. Sketchy as hell, but at least she never used magic or hurt Monsters.

Hekapoo: Really? I didn't even know Celena drank. She was always so quiet.

Seth: Heh. Not around here, she wasn't. Yeah, she and I had a few good laughs in this Tavern. Especially the night of her daughter's coronation; came straight here for a drink the moment she gave up that cursed crown. Truth be told, though, she had a crush on me for years and thought the crown was what kept us apart.

Hekapoo: Ah. I bet you had to have an awkward conversation with her, huh?

Seth: Yeah. Still, broken hearts aside, we had some good laughs that night. You wanna know what we laughed the most about?

Hekapoo: Hm?

Seth (grinning): What she did to Lekmet.

Hekapoo: (spits out drink)

Hekapoo: And what did she do to Lekmet?

Seth: (makes a zipper motion across his lips)

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

Send me any character, really (tho I'll put in tags who's most important to the AU)

Headcanon Prompts

Ok so since I have no ideas for headcanons at the moment, I wanna ask you guys to send in some requests. Just send in a number and a character’s name and I’ll do your request as soon as I can! Or if you wanna use these questions for your own blog go ahead!

How do they feel about people shorter/taller than them?

What are they like on social media? (What’s their username, profile pic, etc.)

Their sexuality?

Preferred weather?

What’s their sleeping schedule?

Favorite music?

How’s their cooking?

It’s movie night, what movie do they pick?

How would they hold up in a pillow war?

What’s their sleeping position?

Who do they go to for comfort?

Something small that they enjoy?

How do they feel about physical contact by others?

What is enough to bring them to tears?

Biggest pet peeve?

How well do they take care of themselves?

What’s something they like that may be surprising to others?

Do they consider others family?

Any bad habits that they have?

What’s their idea of a perfect vacation?

Do they get lost easily? Will they ask for directions if they are?

The strangest thing they have ever seen?

How well do they accept advice?

How much do they swear?

How do they take advice given to them?

Do they like being in pictures?

Is there anything they’re bad at?

What’s their morning schedule?

Any past injuries?

Something that disgusts them?

[sagesilentfire]

Lekmet's funeral was considerably... basic. Everyone dressed in black, they cried over the deceased, and there were boring speeches about how much he meant to everyone, including people neither Star nor I had ever seen him interact with, much less have a deep, unique bond with.

And there was so much crying. Would Lekmet really like that much crying? Surely he would want people to be happy he'd lived, not sad he was gone. Or, at least, that's my philosophy. It's so easy for someone to just... not have existed. It's a privilege that you got to be around to die in the first place. Celebrate that, don't mourn it.

If Lekmet didn't understand that, with all his experience, well... I guess I'll have to understand.

Read on AO3

[sentimental-darkness]

So about *surprise*

Glossaryck wants to destroy magic...

Toffee wanted to destroy magic... (once he realized it’s the only way to actually succeed with his plans)

Toffee was first an unwitting pawn (naive teenager), later partially-witting pawn (but still wanting to get things done his own way, without magic, with an army), and then a witting pawn - a pawn of Glossaryck

in exchange for magical powers and opportunity to weaken Mewni, perhaps?

I really have my doubts whether Glossy needed Meteora to muster dip down... more like he wanted to influence Toffee... so it was never about Meteora becoming a responsible future queen with magic and monster blood... because turns out he wants to get rid of magic altogether

So?

In the end they’re like pals and they co-directed the entire series together, honestly.

Glossaryck only gets involved in Star’s life after Toffee’s plan gets initiated... he helped Star recover Toffee’s finger, heck maybe he showed Toffee how to corrupt magic and obtain all these powers...

he had no objections when Toffee destroys his children and the most reasonable of them (Lekmet) is actually destroyed for good (maybe it was Glossaryck’s idea because he hates them all so much). And later Toffee and Glossy act as a married couple with the whole “let’s make Ludo do what I want because it’ll be fun!” conflict.

Like, Toffee never really needed Ludo to do anything with the wand or Butterfly castle... and he outright confirms it later. He never really needed Ludo in the first place, it was just fun for him to torment Ludo and make him believe he is a beloved monarch only to take this satisfaction away from him.

now... Glossaryck also helped Star to master dip down... but whether her restoring magic/defeating Toffee so early was actually a part of his plan may be questioned

After all, “maybe defeating Toffee was a mistake”

but don’t worry, some drinks? damn it, the parallels here, remember how Toffee was introduced and brought Ludo a drink?

because there is a backup plan and it’ll be Star who destroys magic... heartbroken after her mum’s betrayal... and in face of how badly the writing looks and how unbelievable that betrayal was... I wouldn’t be surprised if Glossaryck was involved but never shown, like maybe he manipulated Moon into thinking Eclipsa is really terrible and this is a wise thing to do because otherwise shit will get ugly on Mewni lol, now that would actually make more sense and become believable to me!

all according to Glossaryck’s backup plan in case Toffee scenario fails - Moon with Mina VS Eclipsa & Mewni = Star broken and determined to get rid of magic

Toffee’s shoulder pads anyone? Moon & Eclipsa?

I’m sure there are parts of his plan Glossaryck never revealed but that entire speech of Toffee in the end? He knew some of his plans (apparently) and that Glossaryck wants to destroy magic anyway, leaving Mewni vulnarable in the future hey, now let it sink in... the show is like completely oblivious to this fact because it has become such utter bullshit, but Septarsis is still pretty much in the picture with Seth, you know... and I guess it isn’t a seperate dimension but a land in Mewni? So yeah, Toffee has won and Glossaryck will die/transcend this existence, just as they wanted, and they were having hell of a good time with it. At this point you can’t be sure if Toffee actually died there...

And guess what? Has anyone ever trusted Glossaryck?

Has he proven to be a trustworthy, benevolent fellow?

I JUST CAN’T WITH THIS SERIES ANYMORE, WHY NOBODY QUESTIONS THIS GUY

It’s kind of amazing that it isn’t even a far-fetched idea but at the same time there were so many better ways to deliver this kind of scenario... and explore it better... and maybe make the good guys actually thwart their plans...

No, Star, Toffee wasn’t “right” - but you’re all just dumb enough to play into Glossaryck’s hands so enjoy the results

You know the best part? Unless something significant is revelaed in Cleaved... there will be LITERALLY nothing on the show that could disprove this post... and the show itself seems to be reinforcing this idea that Glossaryck is untrustworthy and well-acquainted with Toffee... because what was even the point of that flashback episode right?

Also, have you people ever taken into account THIS SHIT? From the comic issue? Because I always found it... suspicious... to say the least...

LIZARD YOU STILL THERE, WE’LL DISCUSS YOUR PLANS LATER, BYE

OH AND YES, I WILL MAKE SURE YOU GET TO SAY “SURPRISE” IN MY BACKUP PLAN

[mysteriesofmarcy]

Return from rwinger24's Hiatus on Reddit and his Awful C-Section Theory

*Note: This post was submitted by rwinger24. When it uses first person pronouns, it is referring to him, not me.*

I’ve once made a theory that Marco’s mom, Angie, will die after a c-section surgery when Marco’s baby sibling is about to be born.

I’m only saying sibling because I am still skeptical that the baby turns out to be a girl via plot twist ....

(ala how Doofenshmirtz's brother Roger from Phineas and Ferb turned out to be a boy while expected to be a girl)

This theory automatically falls apart because of these reasons.

1. Angie is a supporting tertiary character that has little significance to the show. I was wrong in many ways that she and her husband will ground Marco while I made false claims that he snuck out and lied to his parents about being sad. (Angie told Marco to go in my opinion after all). So there is no right to kill her off that way. With Jackie, it seems fair because the writers want to move on from Jackie. And what will it impact for the entire show... minimum to none.

2. Angie dying appears to be too dark for SVTFOE. Sure the show had many serious moments throughout Season 3, but it feels like this isn’t something Daron would do. Death was mentioned before through Toffee being single blasted to death, him killing Moon's mother Comet, and Lekmet’s funeral scene in “Rest in Pudding”, but killing off Marco’s mom who has little importance.... Come On!

Bonus: Really? Mentioning a C-Section in a Disney cartoon is too risky. Mickey Mouse and the censors are most likely to veto this concept. Bob Iger will definitely shake his head on this one.

Note: This is the first time I mentioned Bob Iger with grateful respect owning a multi-million dollar empire that is The Walt Disney Company.

And that wraps up my first never gonna happen theory. If you hahaves any other unwishful theories.... (such as Marco is secretly in love with Kelly (or the other way around), and Tom is manipulating everyone even Star because he is still desperately in love with her), you can post ahead. Because I hope Season 4 will be a smash hit and it will fix the damage Season 3 did to us.

*And now, my response.*

1. Hardly your first never gonna happen theory.

2. I do believe that Kelly may be secretly in love with Marco, though not the other way around because Jarco and Starco and all that other stuff.

3. Like I said in the ask, I believe Seddm's theory that Tom is happier and much better off as a friend, than as a boyfriend. As a boyfriend, he just got into fights with Marco over who loved Star more. As a friend, he could be so much better as a character.

4. Uh... they never killed off Jackie.

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

Toffee @ Lekmet behind the scenes of Crystal Clear

[ignissa]

Lore, history and politics from the Guidebook

Here’s a small compilation of bits in Star and Marco’s Guide to Mastering Every Dimension which help us understand the history of Mewni and the way it functions. I’m not comfortable posting more pages than this, though I know the full thing can probably be found online somewhere. My version is the electronic version available on Kobo.

Tom’s dad Dave is referred to as the “Big Guy”. She feels/felt [?] pressure to stay with him for political reasons, despite the fact that he’s basically one step away from being considered a monster.

Glossaryck has trained all recorded queens of Mewni. (Note, the book is “written” following Bon Bon in the chronology of the show)

The area around the Butterfly Castle is referred to as the Butterfly Groundlands. The Underworld is located directly below the castle’s sewers. The Cloud Kingdom of the Pony Heads is located directly above Butterfly Castle. King Pony Head has some influence over the weather below his kingdom.

Toffee is from a place called Septarsis. Ludo’s castle was called Castle Avarius and was considered a “royal protected structure”. The conflict with Toffee’s monsters was apparently concluded with a “Mewman/Monster Accord”. There is also a treaty between Toffee’s people and Ludo’s family called the Avarius/Septarsis Treaty.

Ludo is considered a prince. Another mention of the Butterfly Groundlands, this time making it clear that the previously mentioned “royal protected structures” are those which lie within the Groundlands and are therefore protected my Queen Moon. Ludo’s actions apparently violate the Mewman/Monster Accord.

Heinous is wanted for employing and conjuring (whatever that means) rogue monsters. Another mention of the Mewman/Monster Accord.

It is apparently illegal to alter dimesnional scissors and there appears to be an official registry for them.

Here we just have a full version of the pop-out book from Mewnipendence Day.

Confirmation that in Mewni succession goes down the female line. Suggestion that abdication may be expected.

Letter from Moon to Star. The Grandma Room’s official name is the Tapestry Room.

Celena could disarm monsters with her beauty. We learn the name of another queen, Soupina the Strange, who could use her magic to make soup.

Eclipsa’s chapter was dark “but sorta meh”. We also see a full version of Festivia’s tapestry.

A new tapestry and queen - Skywnne, Queen of Hours, who was apparently greatly respected. Full version of Moon’s tapestry.

The universe has apparently fabricated Glossaryck to explain magic.

Mention of a “grandmother” called Dirhhennia the Heaped who was the only queen ever to be superseded by her younger sister. It is unknown whether the butterfly family continued down Dirhhenia’s line or her sister’s (Crescenta the Eager), however since Dirhhennia is labeled a “grandmother” while Crescenta is not, it seems likely that succession continued down the normal path even when rulership did not.

Another mention of Skywynne.

Skywynne created the spell “Warnicorn Stampede” by altering previously existing spells. She later joined the Magic High Commission and continued creating (and presumably writing down) spells without her wand - this suggests that a Butterfly may still be able to use the spell book even when it technically belongs to her daughter.

Glossaryck apparently doesn’t teach. Dipping down is to wand-magic as sprinting is to walking.

Glossaryck actually created the MHC to help Mewmans understand and interact with magic. He considers them his kids. “I love you” - clearly his claim to “not have feelings” was a lie.

Hekapoo’s skill is unique, she was created to help Mewmans traverse the multiverse. Glossaryck can “go wherever”.

Lekmet was made to explain “the impermanence of existence” - was he made to die? Moon’s role is to manage the relationship between Mewmans and magic. Glossaryck doesn’t even remember making Omnitraxis. He stops the multiverse from eating itself. 

Moon took pole dancing classes lol. Mewni is matrilineal and men can only become a part of the royal family through marriage.

The Pony Heads on the other hand follow agnatic-cognatic succession, where women can only inherit if there are no legitimate male heirs. King Pony Head ended up having 13 daughters. First ever mention of a Queen Pony Head, however...

... they seem to assume that there will be no more Pony Head children after Pranciss and name our Pony Head princess (also her first name is Lilacia), so perhaps Queen Pony Head is no longer in the picture. There is a tradition of the second-born Pony Head acting as the commander-in-chief of the Pony Head army.

There is a tradition of the 5th born Pony Head acting as the party ambassador for the kingdom.

The cheekmarks have been in the family for generations because of their close proximity to magic. Attention is drawn to the 4 card suits.

The wand has been handed down from queen to firstborn princess for all of recorded history.

A map of Mewni.

[analysis-by-vaylon]

Vaylon's Crazy Theory #1: Pony Head will die, and Marco will use her horn as a weapon.

I told you these theories would be crazy, even for me.

First, a disclaimer: the contents of this post are sold as-is. Not guaranteed to actually predict the future, end shipping wars, or bring total enlightenment. Read at your own risk. May cause drowsiness or confusion. Void where prohibited. All sales are final. NO REFUNDS.

(This will be a long post.)

Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, "Vaylon, you crazy person, you, how on earth could you even begin to possibly justify such an outlandish theory?!" Well, what if I told you that it starts all the way back in episode 1b: "Party with a Pony"? But before I can tell you that story, I have to tell you this story: let's talk about the Holy Grail.

Not This @#$% Again!

If you're a regular follower of my blog, then I'm sure by now you're sick to death of me talking about the Holy Grail theory and how I think Lekmet's horn will come to play a big role in future seasons. Well, too bad! It’s a good theory, and I’m proud of it. There’s plenty of evidence for it, in my opinion -- but I missed something related to the Grail. Something big.

You see, I'm kind of an idiot for not realizing the possibility of this Pony Head theory sooner. The answer is literally right in front of my face every day. Have you ever seen my profile picture? It's the Lance of Longinus from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Evangelion's Lance is based on an actual legend in medieval Christian tradition. The legend says that a Roman soldier named Longinus wanted to make sure that Christ was really dead, so he stabbed him in the side with his spear. (The use of the word lance instead of spear is debatable, but I like the alliteration, so I'm going to use it.) All sorts of stories and magical powers are associated with this weapon, and lots of different relics claim to be the "true" Lance. But here's the thing I had forgotten: in order for the Grail to catch the blood of Christ (and thus become the Grail), there has to be a sizable wound. The Lance, then, is what causes that wound.

The Holy Grail is only half of the picture! You can't have the Grail without the Lance; they go together. I felt like a fool when I realized the connection I’d been missing -- the hint was right in front of me the whole time.

In Arthurian tales, the Grail and Lance often go hand-in-hand -- one or both are depicted as continually dripping with blood -- and there have been lots (and lots) of books written about the symbolism behind the two mythical objects. One reading is that the Grail and Lance symbolically represent feminine and masculine aspects, respectively. Or, more irreverently, they represent Venus and Mars. Any of this starting to sound familiar yet?

I've written previously about Star being associated with the goddess Venus. Marco, then, of course, is associated with the god Mars; not only is his name ultimately derived from Mars, but he has a strong connection to the color red and to martial arts. The Roman god of war is depicted as carrying a spear as a weapon -- indeed, it's part of his symbol, which has now become the traditional symbol for "male." If there is indeed a Lance in Star vs. the Forces of Evil, then it seems only fitting that Marco -- the Lancer of the series -- comes to wield it.

Once I started thinking about the Lance, it was easy to find references to it (some more subtle than others). I've divided the theory into two sections: the first part will deal with connecting Pony Head to the Lance (and hence to Marco). The second part will deal with the foreshadowing of Pony Head's death. Let's begin!

Pony Head and Marco

Remember "Party with a Pony" -- the very first episode we see Pony Head in? Do you remember what game Pony Head and Marco play at the Amethyst Arcade?

Lance Lance Revolution! I was stunned when I recalled that scene. (I also wonder if it's a stealth reference to the opening of Revolutionary Girl Utena -- watch for the flying horses!) Notably, Pony Head loses the game to Marco. Indeed, for what it's worth, there are a number of references to sharp objects in "Party with a Pony":

The series is trying to establish a comparison between lances and Pony Head. Sound far-fetched? Perhaps -- but that's the point (so to speak) of this post. This theory's reading opens up the episode to a lot of irony in lines like this, for instance:

Pony Head: Look here, Earth Turd. This night is really important to me. You mess that up, and you’re gonna get the horn.

Marco could literally receive the horn from Pony Head. And there is another line in "Party with a Pony" that is much, much darker upon re-interpretation, but I'll save that for the second half. For now, let's move on to some other episodes.

Both Star and Marco make use of Pony Head several times throughout the series as a tool:

Her role as a tool in "St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses" and in "Pizza Thing" could foreshadow the eventual use of her horn as a weapon. "Pizza Thing" is particularly interesting as it focuses on Pony Head and Marco's relationship -- indeed, every time we see Pony Head on-screen, she is somehow causing trouble for Marco -- and there are odd lines in it like this one that seem to hint at something else going on:

Pony Head, however, does have a sharp edge to stab someone with. Marco using her horn as a weapon would be symbolic of the friendship between him and Pony Head; we would think of her every time he uses it. This shot is probably the most symbolic one in the episode, however:

Bowls, as I noted before in my post on the Holy Grail, are symbolic of the Grail; the symbolism, I think, is reinforced by Pony Head putting eggs into it. (Pizza dough does not ordinarily have eggs in it!) Remember: the Grail and the Lance go together. They are a pair, just like Star and Marco.

Finally, there's a pretty unusual passage in Star and Marco's Guide to Mastering Every Dimension:

It seems likely to me that the writers intend far more meaning behind Pony Head and Marco's relationship than is apparent at first glance; if this theory is correct, then perhaps Marco and Pony Head will become much closer than they are now just before she is killed, and he will commit himself to keeping her memory alive in a way she would have wanted.

Word Associations

I think "The Bounce Lounge" -- another often-overlooked episode -- is important, too, for establishing darker themes associated with Pony Head: that of old age, finality, and death. Yet, before we get into those themes, there's something odd going on in this episode, something that I've previously remarked on: shot-for-shot, "The Bounce Lounge" and "The Hard Way" have similar composition. (If you play both episodes at the same time, you'll see for yourself what I'm talking about.) In particular, I would like to focus on these two shots:

Visually, Pony Head is being compared to a pillar. Pillars play an unusual role in the series; for one thing, they're connected to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- a film about the quest for the Holy Grail. For instance, the pillars that mark the clues that Indiana Jones follows are echoed in the second half of season two of Star vs. the Forces of Evil:

Pillar is a word with an interesting etymology. As you can see, it's ultimately derived from the Latin pila -- a word with some interesting connections (among them: mortar and pestle, pistil) -- but, more to the point (again, so to speak), it’s also etymologically connected to the Latin word pilum -- the famed javelin of the Roman soldier. Both pila and pilum probably have their origin in the proto-Indo-European root *peys- meaning "to crush."

The word pillar is ultimately derived from a root meaning "to crush." If you’re skeptical about the significance of this, just consider what a pillar does at the end of "The Battle for Mewni":

Yeah.

I don't think there's any need for us to balk at this sort of word association -- with cleaved in "Storm the Castle" and Janna sleeping in the grave in "Bon Bon the Birthday Clown," the writers have clearly demonstrated that they're aware of the meanings and etymologies of words. (As an aside, think about how much importance the word crush has in episodes like "Sleepover" and "Starcrushed"!) If Pony Head can be compared to a pillar, then she certainly can be compared to a javelin (or, more aptly, a spear).

The amount of suffering in "The Battle for Mewni" -- and the sheer number of times that the words dead or kill are used -- hint that the series as a whole is moving toward a darker, more serious tone. Would the death of a supporting character really be that out of place? There are some elements scattered throughout the series so far which hint at Pony Head's death; let's take a look at them.

The Shadow of Death

Even from the beginning of Pony Head's introduction, there's an air of danger and death around her; after all, in "Party with a Pony," she does try to kill Marco:

In the same episode, Marco responds to Pony Head with some violence of his own:

If this theory is right, and Pony Head is destined to die, consider how darkly ironic King Pony Head's incredible line at the end of "Party with a Pony" becomes:

King Pony Head: Ah, kids... You have 'em, and then you... wish they weren't around.

And that episode isn't the only one like that; as I noted earlier, "The Bounce Lounge" is entirely themed around old age, finality, and endings. There's a crow in the decrepit Bounce Lounge, an omen of death (if you watch the scene, note how the sound travels to the left channel, drawing your attention to the crow):

There's some visual metaphor going on as well: when Star starts to cry, all of her glass unicorn figurines shatter into pieces. Could this be foreshadowing Star's sorrow at her best friend's death? Indeed, the entire episode seems dedicated to priming the audience for -- something -- some kind of major loss or death:

Furthermore, Milly Sparkles says "six customers" -- and the show wants us to pay attention to what she says and how she says it -- but there are actually seven characters present:

At first, I wondered if something would happen to Marco, since he's the only one not reflected in Milly's shades, but in light of this theory, I now think it's Pony Head. A stretch, admittedly (isn't it all?), but it's hard to deny that "The Bounce Lounge" is a grim portent. To a lesser extent, “Running with Scissors” also presages death in what could be an ironic fashion:

This theory of mine about Pony Head may also help explain something I'd been puzzling over for quite a while during the season two finale livestream, which featured Marco and StarFan13 talking about Easter eggs to watch for during "Face the Music" and "Starcrushed":

StarFan13: Did you find all the Easter eggs? Did you find the unicorn skull, the pizza nuggets, and the shoulder tassels?

As far as I know, there's no unicorn skull in either "Face the Music" or "Starcrushed." However, there are some bones near the flytrap-like plant in "Face the Music":

But those don't look like unicorns to me; look at their teeth. (Also, the clues indicate we're looking for a single unicorn skull.) Perhaps this connection is far-fetched, but I always thought the hint of "unicorn skull" prefigured some other death -- and now I think it may be referring to Pony Head's eventual demise. (If someone has an alternate explanation for the unicorn skull hint, I would be happy to hear it!) But this is just a minor point compared to what I think is the biggest clue of all...

In a post about "Starcrushed," I wrote about how, among other things, the Magic High Commission and Star's group of friends all seem to run parallel to one another:

Emergency Friend Meeting: Star, Pony Head, Kelly, Janna, and StarFan13. Magic High Commission: Moon, Lekmet, Omnitraxus Prime, Hekapoo, and Rhombulus.

Thanks to Moon in "Return to Mewni," we know for a fact that Lekmet is gone for good:

Since "Starcrushed" implicitly compares Star's group of friends to the Magic High Commission, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to posit that one of Star's friends could die as well -- and the closest one to Lekmet in terms of kind and symbolism is Pony Head.

Lekmet is associated with healing (as is the Holy Grail); similarly, real-life legends about unicorns are also associated with healing -- their alleged horns were valuable, sought-after items believed to be cure-alls and were purchased by medieval nobles wanting to protect themselves against poison and disease. Both Lekmet and Pony Head have prominent horns, although Pony Head uses hers for magic, and it hasn't been revealed -- yet, anyway -- whether or not Lekmet's horn is magic (but I think it will be soon).

If Lekmet's horn is to be used as a magic item by Star, then is it really that much of a stretch to imagine Pony Head dying and her horn being used as a weapon by Marco?

How It All Goes Down

From what I've been reading, plenty of fans dislike Pony Head; in any case, I would certainly not characterize her as a popular character. I think she's fine in small doses, and at times she can even be hilariously off-beat: her appearance in "Running with Scissors" attests to that! A moment of redemption for her -- something to truly bolster audience opinion of her, perhaps even a heroic sacrifice -- would fit perfectly, I think, into the development of an otherwise unlikable character. It makes a whole lot of sense to me.

And, if it is to happen, then it seems obvious how: Miss Heinous. From "Heinous" -- an episode that I love due to how utterly off-the-rails demented it is -- it's clear that Miss Heinous is quite involved in the process of losing her grip on reality, and she's also become far more bloody-minded than previously shown. Here's a possible chain of events:

Miss Heinous threatens to kill Marco.

Pony Head sacrifices herself to save Marco.

Marco takes Pony Head's horn for revenge.

Implausible? Sure. I freely admit that this theory is crazy -- it's in the title, after all -- but I absolutely think it could happen, and that's what makes it so deliciously tantalizing. Given the show's running theme of transition, I think it would also be influential in terms of character development for Star if she lost her childhood friend; not only would it be symbolic of her transition to adulthood, but it would provide Pony Head a means of redeeming herself and allow the show to reveal just how dark it can truly be. I can’t wait for November!

I hope you enjoyed reading this! Feel free to complain here (or just send questions). Until next time! Take care of yourselves.

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

*You felt your sins crawling on your back

No more Miss Nice 'n' Shy. This is my fave line I gave Celena and you can pry it from my cold, dead hands. You can read the full scene here:

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

"'Toffee?' What is that, a pet name?" Hekapoo sneered.

Neither Festivia nor Jester had the energy to retort. They were out of breath from running, tired of sneaking around, and afraid of the future, of the mess they'd fallen into. The Magic High Commission had them surrounded, and this time there was no way they'd let them go. Jester held her shoulder for comfort. She turned to him, held his hands in hers, and sighed.

"Dad..."

Jester and the Commission members were equally taken aback by her acknowledgement of him.

"Tivi?"

"Even if we get out of here with this scroll, even if we somehow find Eclipsa's daughter, what good will it do? They're not gonna let us get away with this. And I... I don't want you to get hurt because of me. Not when my mother gave up so much to set you free."

"Don't do this, Festivia," he spoke sternly. "Don't do what she did."

The young princess ignored him, and let go. She slowly made her way toward the Magic High Commission, ignoring her father's demands to stay back.

She raised her hands slightly, and pleaded, "Look, I'll go back to the castle, ok? I'll be "Eclipsa's daughter, the princess of Mewni" again, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened. Just, please let Jester Cross walk away peacefully. He didn't do anything wrong."

Rhombulus stomped forward. "Let him go?! Festi, he's a monster! A thief! A murderer! We gotta freeze him!"

"You don't have to do anything! All he wants to do is be with me! If nothing else, can't you just give him that?"

Reynaldo moved to Rhombulus's side, sighing. "My dear, it's not about what anyone wants. This is about order, about justice."

"What justice?!" Festivia shouted. "This is about me! You took his kid from him!"

Hekapoo stepped forward, ferocity flaring in her eyes. "We made a deal, fair and square, and we kept it."

"You're not keeping it now. In exchange for me, you said Jester would be pardoned of his crimes and set free."

"And he was! He just wasn't willing to pay the price his freedom cost him!"

"Wha-" Festivia stammered. "Wh-why, why should his freedom have cost anything?!"

Omnitraxus rose higher and raised his voice, stern and unyielding. "You know why."

She looked back and forth, scanning every Commission member up and down. Her breaths were deep and desperate, realizing they weren't going to budge in their decision.

"No..."

Tears formed in her eyes. This couldn't be it. She didn't want to go back to the castle, but she didn't want her father to be hurt. She couldn't fail at both. This couldn't be how it ended.

"Omni? Hekapoo? Rhombulus? Reynaldo?"

Where was Glossaryck? Why couldn't he be here for her?

"Lekmet?"

The Supreme High Chancellor looked into her eyes. He looked distraught, almost regretful. Festivia slowly walked toward him, though Jester continued to warn her from behind.

"Tivi...just get back here. Get away from them!"

The tears streamed down her face as she begged.

"Please, Lekmet. You're reasonable. You agree with me, right? Please..."

Lekmet moved forward and held her face, shushing calmly and quietly, trying his hardest to calm her down. She cried silently against his hooves and touched her forehead to his, hoping for some form of understanding, of solace, of comfort.

"Shhhhhh..."

Lekmet pressed his lips tenderly to her forehead.

Then she went dead silent.

Festivia's eyes rolled to the back of her head, glowing a faint yellow for a moment, and she fell unconscious. Lekmet cradled the young princess in his arms and lifted her up.

"FESTIVIA!" Jester shouted.

He ran toward them, but was swiftly lurched forward and stopped in his tracks. Omnitraxus, with Hekapoo's help, had reached his arm through one of her portals and wrapped his enormous fist around Jester's body, pinning his arms to his sides. The Septarian strained against his captor and yelled his daughter's name. Everyone else seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Rhombulus ran to Lekmet's side and cheered, "Good thinking Chancellor! She won't remember a thing!"

Jester's eyes widened. He stopped struggling for a moment and froze, his blood running cold.

"She won't...what?"

Every word, every breath, left him, as they continued to crowd around Lekmet and the unconscious princess. All eyes were off Jester for a moment, and his expression went from disbelieving to murderous as he stared daggers at that man. Hekapoo wiped sweat from her brow and spoke next.

"What a relief: now we only have one loose end to tie up."

As if on command, Omnitraxus slammed Jester against a wall, still trapping his arms. The celestial giant glared at him. Jester bore his teeth back, and, trembling with white hot rage, he roared at every member of the Magic High Commission.

"You can't do this! This is my family you tore apart; Festivia is MY CHILD!!!"

Rhombulus, threatened by the outburst, held his arms up, ready to fire his crystals. Omnitraxus' grip on the lizard tightened more. Hekapoo showed no concern, though. She walked to Rhombulus' side, stared Jester dead in the eye and spoke firmly, "Not anymore."

Jester was taken aback. He looked miserably between Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omnitraxus, and Reynaldo, the entire Magic High Commission against him and ready to trap him forever. Then his eyes fell on Lekmet, and his blood boiled. Festivia lay unconscious in his arms, and when she woke up, she would have no memory of Jester. Their reunion, all that lost time they'd tried to make up, rekindling their bond- all for nothing. He'd never hear her call him "Toffee" again.

And Lekmet is the one responsible.

Jester of Septarsis struggled in Omnitraxus' hand one last time and, gathering all his might, ripped his arm free of the giant's grasp. In one desperate attempt to get a final word in, Jester Cross...

...no...

Toffee, father of Festivia, pointed ferociously at the Supreme High Chancellor and growled...

"You're first, old man."

Completed commission for the wonderful @full-moon-phoenix and @new-moon-over-septarsis Please check out her AUS!

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

The prologue is finally here and posted on fanfiction.net! Here's a sneak peek:

"You can't do this! This is my family you tore apart; Festivia is my child!"

"Not anymore."

"... ... ..."

"You're first, old man..."

The queen of Mewni trudged on in a huff, her ears ringing with conversations and events she knew she was not meant to witness. The train of her deep violet robe flowed back and forth in the luminous water, standing out alarmingly against the sparkling gold. A light splash against her back made her pause, soaking her robe, sleeves, and thick curly hair, as the figure that had stumbled desperately toward her lost its footing in the shallow waves and fell onto its knees. The queen looked down at the shadow of goat horns and enormous bat wings looming over the water at her feet.

"Please. You don't understand." Lekmet bleated desperately.

It always came out as a bleat, the "baaaaaa" of a goat, which she had always found strangely annoying. There was a supernatural property in his voice which allowed his words to be understood by all ears, though the sound itself never changed. There had to be. What good would a Supreme High Chancellor be if no one could understand him? Of course, it was of magical origin, and like all magic, it could be countered.

"That's where you're wrong." Celena the Shy kept her back turned to him. She clenched her fists. "I understand everything. I already knew I wasn't really a Butterfly."

Read the rest here:

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

"I'll breathe when they try to suffocate me

"Don't you underestimate me

'Cause I know that I won't go speechless"

The title card for the prologue/chapter 0 of One Pace From Disgrace. I plan to draw a title card for each chapter. And I know that fanfic writers tend to overdo the "these song lyrics go along with this chapter" trope, but unfortunately I'm a sucker for it. I usually have a music playlist going while drawing and writing, and it seemed fitting to share with you guys which song inspired which chapter and title card.

For the prologue, I listened to Speechless from Aladdin 2019 while drawing this card. It was perfect, really, considering Celena's history of staying shy and afraid even in the face of injustice, then forcing Lekmet to stay silent like she did.

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

I kept making the joke, but now I've finally followed through with it.

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

Disgrace!Festivia: ...

*remembers Lekmet erasing all her memories of her father*

*grabs ghost!Lekmet by the beard*

"I remember everything...bitch."

//Btw if any of the MHC is around ghostly or otherwise after the finale Tivi would like to have a talk with you cause magically repressed memories don’t count as repressed if magic has been reset :)

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

Sneak peek from the prologue:

Lekmet bleated desperately.

It always came out as a bleat, the "baaaaaa" of a goat, which Celena always found strangely annoying. There was a supernatural property in his voice which allowed his words to be understood by all ears, though the sound itself never changed. There had to be. What good would a Supreme High Chancellor be if no one could understand him? Of course, it was of magical origin, and like all magic, it could be countered.

"We didn't have a choice!" he pleaded.

Celena furrowed her brows. "But you did. You could've let her go."

Lekmet shrank, his words gone. Celena straightened and continued.

"But you chose to silence them instead, to cover your crimes and hide instead of facing them. I was always afraid I'd be silenced for knowing this. So I live in a cage of fear. I stay locked away from you and your commission because I know you'll never stop trying to silence people like us..."

She pulled her necklace out from inside her robe, revealing a vial of glowing green sand. She pulled a cork from the opening and emptied it all into her palm. A sharp glint shone in her eyes, a sort of suppressed ferocity which Lekmet had never seen from her before.

"...Well, now it's your turn to go unheard."

She blew the sand abruptly into his face. He coughed and inhale some of it, only making him cough even more. When his fit subsided, he bleated in annoyance at her...and that was all she heard.

"Huh. It worked." Celena cocked her head. She smiled sweetly. "I can't understand a thing."

Lekmet gasped and touched his throat. "Baaaa?!"

She had no idea what he was saying, only able to note the panic in his voice. Good. She strode up to him and lifted her chin up to look him in the eye.

"I'm going to speak my mind... and you will never tell a single soul what you hear."

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

"I cast a curse which has no name

On your kind, vengeance shall rain

Your hearts eclipsed, your souls devoured

Before the ones you wronged, you'll cower."

~🌘 ✝