Star vs The Forces of Evil

The Ballad of Earth-Mewni

FanFiction Summary: Following "When Dimensions Cleave" and "Unforgettable Getaway," the age of magic is finally over, and a new age has begun. Join Star, Marco, and their friends & loved ones as they explore & navigate this new world, find their purpose in it, and conquer once and for all the demons within that have been left behind thanks to the age of magic.

Disclaimer: Star vs The Forces of Evil was created by Daron Nefcy and is owned by Disney. I own no part of Star vs.


Episode 1: Family Friendly

Episode Summary: Star struggles to cope with the idea of a new, much more affectionate group of friends & family around her, especially her mother.

Original Postdate: October 28, 2019


It was another gorgeous day in the newly cleaved world. While most of the world was up and about at the early hour of 11:00 AM, there was one who wasn't: Star Butterfly herself. Nope, she was still soundly under her blankets, sawing logs on her brand new soft mattress, a small drool puddle occupying the part of the pillow she was asleep on. Having gotten used to early wake up calls and short sleep cycles as Princess of Mewni (and even shorter cycles as Eclipsa's royal advisor), the idea of Star getting to sleep not just late but super later in the morning seemed like a fantasy.

But no, it was happening. Why?

Because after the events that saw magic briefly return and Star lose control & throw herself into an uncontrollable rage that saw her harm herself significnatly, collectively, her entire family decided they needed to be extra vigilant in looking out for her health, not just physical health but mental & emotional health. And if that required allowing her to sleep deep into the morning every day for however long, so be it. Nobody would going to object to that if it meant they'd never get a repeat of that horrific moment. But the funny part is not this game plan, but the person who pushed for it the hardest: her mother. Moon Butterfly, the former queen of Mewni, the one who rode Star hard to mold her into what she considered a "proper princess" that would let her rule the kingdom properly, the one that decided not to object to Star subjecting herself to being run ragged as a royal adviser to a woman who had no interest in the throne in the first place, was the one championing this plan to keep Star healthy & happy. And she would not let herself be denied.

Moon walked into the room holding a wooden chair. She gazed at her sleeping daughter, her face beaming with pride with a hint of sorrow on it, and walked over to the side of her bed. She set the chair down and sat in it quietly, happily keeping her focus on her. In spite of everything that had happened, she was immeasurably proud of her daughter, not just as ambassador of Mewni, but proud of her as a woman and person. And she was hellbent on ensuring that she would never hurt again, either unintentionally or not.

Out of nowhere, Moon gently caressed her daughter's hair, but unfortunately, this snapped Star right awake. She let out a scream and started panting hard, allowing her vision to align and realize her mother was there. "M-Mom?" She said, her voice groggy. "W-What's going on? What time is it?"

"It's only past 11, dear. Y-"

"ELEVEN!?" Her answer sent Star into shock, as she immediately sat up and wiped the leftover drool from her chin. "What the he-why didn't anybody wake me!?" She rushed over to her mother and gently brushed her arm. "I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't-WHOA!"

Moon didn't even give Star a chance to apologize. She stood up, picked her daughter up like she was a toddler, and hugged her in her arms, again causing Star to yelp. "You looked so peaceful. Did you sleep well?" To go from feeling guilty for badly oversleeping to being asked how she was feeling was a heel turn that Star was not prepared for. She was left completely baffled.

"What? I...I guess I did...?"

"Then that's all that matters. Come, it's time to eat." Without hesitation, Moon started walking out the door, with Star still in her arms. This entire action left Star beyond confused, as Moon carried her all the way from her room to the dining hall, and that was not a short walk. But for Moon, any discomfort from doing it didn't matter. It was worth it.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Marco (with Mariposa strapped to him), River, Eclipsa, and Globgor (Meteora being held by Globgor) were surrounding a seat; in front of said seat, there was a single plate on the table with a big breakfast waiting for her. It was a giant stack of chocolate chip pancakes, freshly made. Moon carried her all the way to the seat and carefully sat her down, while Marco put a napkin around her neck to act as a bib. Eclipsa handed Star a fork and knife. "Good morning, sweetheart." She said before gently kissing her on the cheek and hugging her.

"Guys, I...don't understand." Star said nervously. "W-What's the occasion?"

"There's no occasion." Marco responded. "There doesn't have to be for something like this."

"How long have you been up?"

He shrugged. "A few hours."

"Aww, I'm sorry." Star genuinely felt guilty leaving Marco up by himself for so long. Whenever they slept together, Star wanted to ensure she was up with him no matter what the hour. Marco, however, had every intention of letting her sleep as long as she needed or wanted, just like everyone else in the room. "W-Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I figured you'd like to get a little bit of extra sleep, that's all."

"A little bit? Marco, it's almost noon. I didn't want to sleep that late."

"But don't you feel rested?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I guess." She lied. "But-"

"Then that's that. No harm done."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Seriously, everyone, I appreciate the thought, but...there's no way I'm gonna be able to finish all these pancakes by myself. Will you at least share them with me?"

The adults and Marco all exchanged looks with each other, then looked back at Star. It was obvious she appreciated the sentiment but felt uncomfortable accepting the entire meal by herself. They knew she would feel much better if they acquiesced, so they did. They each grabbed their own plate & utensils, and took some pancakes for themselves, but not before smothering Star with plenty of hugs and kisses, Marco especially, who didn't hesitate to lock lips with his wonderful girlfriend, much to everyone's delight. Now everyone had pretty much an equal number of pancakes, with Star having a couple of extra ones.

Now that she had been appeased, everyone started digging into their breakfast. "Mmm, these are amazing." Star commented in between bites. "Marco, did you make these?"

"Well...sorta. I mean I did have a lot of help." He gestured towards the others, indicating they had a hand in helping out.

"Really?" Star was clearly amazed. "Well, whatever you guys did, it worked. These are great!"

"I must say it's been so fascinating getting to expand my palette with these Earthly delicacies." River remarked. "Such a delight."

"Wait until you taste his super special cheesy nachos."

"I'll make a note for tonight." Marco quipped, getting chuckles from everyone.

"So Star, what's on your docket for today?" Eclipsa asked her.

"Going to hang with Buff Frog. Katrina's Cornball team is having their practice and I get to be honorary assistant coach for the day!"

"That's wonderful!"

"What about you guys?"

"Your father and I are just going to be tidying up the castle a bit while you're gone."

"I'm going to continue working on my book." Eclipsa jumped in.

"I'm going out to build more houses to help solve our homelessness problem." Globgor proudly declared, which got baby Meteora to applaud him.

"And Marco?" Star turned to her love.

"I...if it's alright with you I was thinking I could hang back and help your folks with the cleaning." Marco said. "I figured if, you know, you're gonna be busy with coaching and stuff, that'll take a lot of focus, and I might...you know, distract you and all."

Star smiled and blushed. "Aww, Marco..." But her smile quickly turned into a disappointed frown as she took another bite out of her pancake. Moon carefully pulled Marco closer to her.

"That's very sweet of you, hon, but...I would prefer you go with her." She admitted.

"Are you sure?"

Moon nodded. "I'd like for her to have someone to lean on if need be. And you're a much better rock than any of us."

He smiled, proud of that compliment, though his smile quickly faded when he looked back over at Star and saw her still frowning, taking only nibbles at her pancakes. He turned back to Moon and nodded. "As long as you're okay with it..."

Now it was Moon's turn to smile proudly. "You're a good boy." She said as she kissed his forehead. He returned to his girlfriend.

"A-Actually, Star, turns out my schedule's clean for the day, so I'm all yours." He declared, much to her delight.

"Huzzah!" She shouted, hugging him. "Okay, let me go get dressed and we can head out." She grabbed her plate and raced to the kitchen, cleaning it thoroughly before putting it away. She went to grab everyone else's dishes but they all stopped her.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. You go, we'll clean up." Moon stopped her, which visibly annoyed Star, something that Moon instantly picked up.

"...You...you're sure?" She hesitantly asked; Moon smiled & nodded, and Star responded with a sigh. "Alright. If you say so." She turned around and raced towards her room, quickly putting on her blue suspender dress (the one from Curse of the Blood Moon among other episodes), as well as her lovely Beach Day necklace - the one Marco got for her as a gift - and meeting Marco by the front door. "Kay, Diaz, I guess we're good to go."

"Hold on." He stopped her from leaving, only to then pick her up off the floor and carry her in his arms. She shouted again. "Now we're good to go."

"Oh for pete's sake!" She was clearly not happy about being carried around again, but she kept quiet and let him do it anyway. She knew how good he felt when he got to make her feel like a princess. And this was while Mariposa was still strapped to him. Talk about Superman, huh?


Marco carried Star all the way out to an open field where Buff Frog and his children, including Cornball player Katrina, were waiting for them along with the rest of her Cornball team and the coach. Once they were in sight, everyone began waving happily to them, which instantly got Star to smile as she waved back.

"Hi guys!" She shouted proudly as they finally arrived and Marco set her feet down on the ground.

"Star!" Katrina exclaimed happily, jumping up and down in place before finally running up to her and giving her a hug. "You made it!"

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" She responded as Katrina proceeded to hug Marco as well. "Are you sure you guys want me here, though? I don't know anything about the game, and...well, I don't really know what I'm doing."

"Is okay." Buff Frog assured her, taking her shoulder. "Don't think of you as "assistant," think of you as...guest of honor."

Naturally, Star was confused. "Guest of honor?" Buff Frog turned her attention to the sidelines, where next to the bench was an extremely soft & comfortable, colorful chair waiting for her, containing a snack holder holding a glass of lemonade and a bag of corn pellets, and a sign above the chair that read "Star Butterfly" in big letters. She was now even more confused. "I don't understand."

"Us monsters never properly thanked you for all you did to help us. Small gestures like this...is least we can do." Buff Frog explained.

Despite being visibly uncomfortable with such a gesture, she was still touched. "Aww, Buff Frog...you didn't have to do this. R-Really, I'm fine. I don't mind helping out."

"And you will. But today, you sit and enjoy." Buff Frog picked Star up and carried her all the way to her special seat, sitting her down gently and patting her head. He turned to Marco. "If I knew Earth boy was to be coming I would have prepared second chair."

"Oh no, I'm fine." Marco said quickly. "No worries."

"Are you sure you don't want this seat?" Star asked, hoping for some - any - way to get out of this special treatment. Marco proudly shook his head and kissed her cheek.

"Nope, you just enjoy." He, Buff Frog, and the rest of his children took their seats on the bench and watched as Katrina's team began their practice.

As the practice went on, Katrina's team had an opportunity to show just how talented they were. They had come a long way since the first ever monster-mewman integrated game of Cornball several months earlier. Buff Frog was quite the supportive dad, as were his other children. Even Marco was getting himself into the fun, as was baby Mariposa, which overwhelmed Buff Frog with joy. But Star? She was not. She sat in her chair almost completely silently, crunched up in an almost-sitting fetal position, head resting somberly on her knees and arms. She was barely paying attention to the field. And despite her remaining near totally silent, Buff Frog and Marco picked up on it and expressed concern to each other.

"Is Young Butterfly okay?" A simple question that Buff Frog asked him. Unfortunately, a simple question with a not-so-simple answer.

"I...don't know." Marco admitted to him. He leaned closer to Star. "Star, you alright? What's up?"

She moved her head just enough for her eyes to lock on to the boy, but she merely gave off a meek shrug. "You guys want to split my corn pellets?" She calmly asked them. "I'm not really in the mood, but thanks anyway Buff Frog." Neither dared to reach for the pellets. Marco scooched closer to Star and gently wrapped an arm around her, trying to bring her in for a hug. But she was too wrapped up in the dark clouds that were surrounding her head to notice at first. But after some more time passed she finally darted her eyes in his direction. "Marco would you please switch seats with me?"

The quiver in her voice had him worried now, but he decided to honor her request, standing himself and her up and taking her seat. She gave off a nice smile. "Better?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Better." And then she proceeded to sit on the ground right next to Buff Frog, as opposed to on the bench. Her behavior utterly befuddled him and also left him a little more than worried about her. With no prompting, he picked her off the ground and sat her in his lap, letting her rest her head against his torso. Though she hated this, she was in no state of mind to object.

Eventually the time came for the team to take a water break. There was a water machine and cups on the other side of the bench, and all of the teammates took to taking some water. Except for Katrina, who instead went to check on Star. She too had noticed her somber demeanor. "Are you okay?"

Star looked at Katrina for a brief moment before looking away, almost as if she was ashamed of her demeanor, ashamed that she wasn't able to perk herself up to enjoy Katrina's practice. "I...think I should go." She squirmed her way out of Buff Frog's grip and started dusting herself off. "Thanks for inviting me, guys. Really." She sheepishly smiled, but it was obvious to everyone something was off. "But I don't want to be a bother."

"But you're not." Katrina argued.

"Your dad souped up that awesome chair for me, and I just feel out of place. I'm sorry." She started to walk away, but stopped when she saw Marco start to stand up. "Oh no, Marco, please stay. Don't leave because of me."

He smiled warmly, walking over to her and hugging her. "It's okay. I'm fine." He turned to Buff Frog. "Thanks for inviting us, guys. We'll see you around?"

"Thanks for coming out!" Katrina shouted joyously, waving them goodbye. Her smile hid a face wrought with concern, just like Buff Frog. With that, Star & Marco departed, hand in hand.


With their obligation for the day over, they decided to take a walk around Echo Creek. Star couldn't bring herself to look up at where she was going, so Marco had to do all of the navigating. For hi, it was nowhere near as concerning as Star's demeanor. Eventually they came across a park bench and sat down for a moment of rest. "Star...what's wrong?" He asked her, hugging the somber girl.

She finally looked up at his beautiful brown eyes and kissed him. "I'm sorry, Marco. I don't mean to be such a bummer today."

"What's bothering you? You can tell me."

She shrugged. "I would tell you...if I had an answer for you."

"You've been a bit weird all day..."

"You noticed, huh?" While Star was trying to talk, Mariposa reached her arms out towards Star. Marco unstrapped her from him and gave her to Star to hug, which absolutely delighted the little baby.

"Well, I know you freaked out over sleeping in so late, then you insisted we all share the big breakfast we all made you. And now there was that silly chair..." Again, she shrugged, this time looking away from him. "Are you just not feeling well?"

"I...maybe?"

"Do you want to head to my house? We can just chill for the rest of the day, play with Mariposa, eat foods that are bad for us, and maybe...you know..." He winked at her, which got her to blush. It was the first genuine smile she had on her face all day.

"Well that sounds like fun." They stood up and embraced. "You know...it just occurred to me: we haven't done that in your bed yet."

"Then let's fix that, shall we?"

"Did you bring any protection with you?"

And Marco's eyes went wide. "...crap."

Star giggled and pecked his cheek. "Let's go get some before we head to your place."

"Good plan."


After they rectified that situation, they headed over to Marco's place, where they were both greeted with open arms by Marco's parents, especially Star. At some point Star's folks passed the message on to Marco's folks to act as loving and affectionate to her as possible, which wasn't at all an issue for them since that's how they always treated her anyway. But this time, it was different.

While Star & Marco were planted on the couch watching TV with Mariposa, Star caught a glimpse of his parents cleaning up in the kitchen. Something inside of her compelled her to stand up and walked into the kitchen. "Um...can I help?" She said, piquing their attention. It didn't appear as though the parents were working overly hard in cleaning the kitchen, but it didn't matter to Star. She wanted to feel useful. Angie & Rafael exchanged looks.

"Sweetie, it's okay. We have it under control." Angie tried to reassure her. But Star was not having it.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble..." She walked over to Rafael and tried to ask for his broom & dust pan.

"Actually, we're pretty much done." Angie lied, putting down her equipment. "Why don't you go upstairs and relax with Marco? We'll take Mariposa."

Once again, Star was left absolutely stunned. "...you sure?" She was met with wide hugs from the two of them. They didn't hesitate to encourage her to have fun with Marco. They knew full well what he meant to her, and vise versa. In their minds, she was already their daughter-in-law, and they wanted to see her thrive. Right now, she was sputtering. "Alright. Thanks, guys." She left the kitchen uncomfortably, telling Marco the news and then giving Mariposa over to them so they could chill in Marco's room.

Once there, they both climbed into his bed and just laid there for the longest time, embracing as tightly as they could. "You okay?" Marco finally asked after such a long silence. Star's eyes peered up at his and she sighed, nuzzling her head into his chest so she could hear his heartbeat.

"...Not really." She finally admitted.

"What's the matter?"

She was not looking forward to confronting the truth, but it was inevitable. "I...eveyone's been super affectionate to me today."

"I know, isn't it great?" Marco saw it as an absolute win for Star, and he couldn't be happier for her there. Star, however, did not share that sentiment.

"Is it, though?" Her question surprised him.

"But...how could it not be?"

Before she spoke again, she gently kissed him on the lips and kept her lips there for a solid minute. It was half-passionate love, half-stalling. But eventually she had to come up for air. "I have to be honest, I...don't know how I feel about it. I mean, I guess I'm just so used to my mom being cold and distant since she had to focus on Mewni and everything. But then this morning she comes into my room and picks me up like I'm still a toddler and carries me all the way to the breakfast table."

"I know, it was adorable." Marco gushed, which got a hearty laugh from Star, though that laugh and her smile quickly faded.

"I still can't believe she let me sleep so late."

"Let you? She was joking with me this morning that you were gonna be in a world of trouble if she caught you awake early." He chuckled. She did not follow suit; in fact, the look on her face indicated she was visibly scared at the idea of being in trouble with her mother. "She...she didn't mean anything by it, just that she was happy that you slept for so long."

"...really?" It was still a difficult idea for her to accept. "Let me ask you something: do you think...do you think my family and friends think I'm fragile?"

He gently caressed her hair and leaned in for another kiss. This one went on for quite some time, even getting a bit handsy. "I think everyone's worried about you. What happened...what you did...it's still pretty fresh in their minds and I think they're just doing what they think will help prevent another incident like it."

She nodded softly, agreeing with the logic even if she disliked it. "I'm sure their hearts are in the right place. But...I don't know, I guess I just feel like I should be doing more."

"What do you mean 'doing more?' Star you don't have to do anything to earn their love. Did they...ever make you think-"

"No, no, no, they never said or implied anything like it. They've always loved me. I just..." She sighed loudly. How could she conquer her demons if she couldn't even understand what they were? "I don't know. I'm just not comfortable with this affection, is all."

"Well we're not going back to how it was before, if that's what you're asking. That's not acceptable, not anymore." His voice was stern, almost angry with this sentence. The hint of anger in his voice caught her off guard.

"Maybe I'll learn to enjoy it. I...I'm just not used to it, is all."

"You deserve it, though." He argued. "Every single ounce of extra love. You deserve it and then some."

Despite her reservations, she smiled at him. "You're so sweet." They kissed again. "You know...I'm excited."

"Hmm? For what?"

"Getting to...you know, christen this bed, if you know what I mean."

His smile grew wider and he blushed madly. "Are you sure you're up for it right now? You don't have to-"

"I want to, Marco. Really. I don't mind extra affection from you. It's everyone else I'm struggling with. But I like getting to do this with you."

"Me too. But then again I get tingly just by doing anything with you." The girl kissed his cheek and nuzzled her cheek against his. "Just give me a sec." He jumped out of the bed and went to his closet, taking out the protection he bought and a tie. He walked over to the door with the tie.

"What's that for?" She naturally asked.

"Oh, this? Well Earth has this tradition where couples who are..." He cleared his throat. "Busy...put a tie on the door knob to let everyone else in the house know."

Star studied his explanation for a brief moment before a light bulb went off in her brain. "Ohhh so that's what that means for you guys. Huh."

So they both carefully stripped themselves down and climbed back under the blankets together, preparing to let nature take its course. "I love you so much, Star."

"I love you too, Marco." She giggled, preparing for the fun to start. "I still can't believe our folks are just totally okay with us doing this."

"I guess they trust us. I mean, it's not like they have a reason not to, right?"

"That's true. It's...it's like a dream come true. And the fact that we can do this all the time if we want to? What could be better?"

"I sure can't think of anything."

"Me neither." She took his face and prepared to kiss him. "Now come and take me, Diaz."

"As you wish, Butterfly."


Marco and his family were invited to dinner at the Butterfly Castle, prepared by the hand of Star herself. Despite her family's objection, she insisted on handling dinner preparations herself. Unlike events earlier in the day where she felt she had to, she wanted to do this. She was eager to show off her newly acquired cooking skills. And on the menu tonight? Well, to celebrate the new integration of her Mewni home and her Earth home, she decided to do something special, something that would combine traditions from both the Butterfly family and the Diaz family.

Her solution? Turkey burgers with corn pellets cooked into the buns and the turkey meat. One for everyone at the table: Marco, his parents, Eclipsa, Globgor, Tom, Moon, River, and of course Star herself. "Ta da! Patented Star Butterfly Turkey Burgers baked with delicious sizzling corn pellets! Dinner is served!" Star announced proudly, her face beaming with pride. The others applauded her, eagerly anticipating a delicious meal. "Thank you."

Moon reached for her turkey burger and took a small bite, savoring every chew. Of course she liked it. "Oh my, this is wonderful." She said after swallowing.

"I guess I outdid myself, huh?"

Moon unhesitatingly got up and went over to her, picking her up and hugging her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "We're all very proud of you, sweetie. You've grown up so much."

And once again, Star was incredibly uncomfortable with this added affection. And this time Moon became aware of said discomfort as Star took her time returning the hug. "Thanks, Mom." She said less than enthusiastically.

"Are you alright?" Moon put her daughter down and looked at her, concern palpable on her face. Star struggled to keep her eyes locked on her mother's, and she began rubbing her arm unconsciously again.

"Yeah, yeah, totally. I'm fine. I...just need to wash up. I'll be right back." She quickly darted out of the dining room, heading up the staircase towards the hallway bathroom. Once there, she splashed her face several times with warm water, trying to get her own stress levels down. She stared at her own reflection in the mirror, saying nothing, not moving a muscle. Internally, her blood was boiling. Her veins were tightening. Why? Why was her mind choosing now to betray her. "Come on, Star, don't don't this." She said to her reflection. "Don't be stupid. Your friends love you. Your family loves you. You have the sweetest, cutest, most caring boyfriend you could ever dream of..." She looked away from the mirror briefly. "They're just trying to show you how much you mean to them. They want you to be safe & healthy. You're overreacting."

"I like to think of it as you're under-reacting."

The blood-curtailing deep bellow of that voice instantly drew Star's attention. Her head slowly turned back to the movie. The reflection in the mirror had changed dramatically; Reflection Star's dress had gone to a gray top with a black bottom, her devil horns were pointier and a much darker shade of red, and her heart marks had returned, though now black in color. Reflection Star's skin had also gone completely pale, and she began laughing a blood-curtailing, vicious laugh (think Mark Hamill's Joker voice for the voice here). "What did you say?"

The reflection shook its head and tsk'ed at her. "Star Butterfly...look at you. What happened to that woman who yearned for independence? The one who said she didn't need a hero?" Its mocking tone gnawed at her skin.

"I don't need a hero. But you know what? There's nothing wrong with having a shoulder to lean on when you're down." Star snarled back at the mirror. "I just wish I had realized that sooner."

"What makes you think he even wants to be your shoulder?" Her mind was most definitely playing tricks on her. "What if he's just pacifying you until he decides you're no longer useful to him?"

She shook her head violently. "N-No, Marco wouldn't do that. I know he loves me with all of his heart. We've made love, like, twenty times already. He wouldn't do that if it wasn't real!"

"And what about your family? Hmm?" The reflection contorted its body and face all around as it spoke, mocking her every move and word. "Do you really think they're pulling all of this out of love?! You're a fool if you believe that."

"And how am I a fool?"

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks. They're not doing this out of love. You think these people - your mother, the former queen - actually love you? Don't delude yourself. They're doing it because they're going to want something from you."

Star raised an eyebrow. At this point she wasn't even questioning why she was even hallucinating at all. "How do you figure?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten. This new world you're in...your fault. All of the magic of your old world...no longer around. That's your burden. They're going to want you to navigate them through this new world. You're going to be the one to shoulder all of it. Tell me, was it really worth it to destroy all of this?" Suddenly, as if out of thin air, several figures appeared next to the reflection, all representations of past spells from the age of magic. "Narwhal blast..." A finger snap, and the floating narwhals were set ablaze. "Old news. Kitten bombs..." The reflection clapped its hands over the floating kittens. "Bye bye." The reflection devishly strolled over to the last figure, gently taking it into its hands and beginning to caress its cheeks. "Spider With a Top Hat...your self-proclaimed 'most powerful spell?'"

A few more strokes of Spider's face. And then...

CRACK!

The reflection violently snapped its neck and dropped it out of its arms. Star screamed out, which was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone still in the dining hall.

"...Gone."

Star began to grind her teeth, her blood starting to boil. "Look, I had to destroy the magic! If I didn't, Mina was going to destroy all of monster kind and who knows how many Mewman!? And the Magic High Commission would've never paid for their crimes against Mewmanity!"

"And just how many lives did you upend?"

"Don't turn it against me. I'm not the one who decided that monsters were the enemy just because they were monsters! I'm not the one that decided that someone wasn't worthy of the throne because their mother decided she loved a monster. Those weren't my decisions!"

"And yet you were the one who could decide that magic was the enemy?"

As each word dug into her skin more and more, Star was losing the urge to go full beast-mode on the mirror in front of her. But she couldn't have a repeat of last time. "I've dedicated my life to serving my people! My people includes mewmans and monsters! I'll never apologize for doing what I thought was right, especially in the face of people that couldn't care less about their own people. I am a proud, independent woman who will fight for the rights of people that can't fight for themselves! I am a proud princess who would destroy magic all over again if I had to! I'M A BUTTERFLY, DAMMIT!"

The reflection squinted at her and snickered. "...No...you're not."

Oh wait, that's right. Technically, the reflection was correct. And those three words were enough to make Star nearly lose it. She clenched her fists harder than she had in a long time, her blood reaching a boiling point. What she didn't realize is that Marco and Moon were standing in the doorway, ready to intervene should Star show any signs of self-harming. Of course, Star had matured dramatically since that incident. Yes, she was seething. No, she was in no mood to punch the mirror. She turned her head to see them standing at the doorway with looks of concern shot her way. "Excuse me!" She dashed right past them and ran, making her way to the back of the castle and out the door, heading to her Rage Room.

Everyone followed her out to the garden where the shed sat. From the outside, they could only hear loud grunting noises and the sounds of things being punched. Marco carefully opened the door and peered inside; his eyes caught Star angrily wailing the inflatable doll she had bought on their vacation together, her fists clenched tightly and her teeth grinding. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight, but better this than punching glass again. Several minutes of unrelenting flying fists before Star finally took the inflatable doll and body slammed in on the ground, screaming so loudly that it genuinely shocked the others. That body slam was enough to drain Star of her anger and her energy, as she just stood there panting hard for a moment after the fact. Sweat was visible on her face even from Marco's distance.

She sat down on the ground carefully next to the doll and rested her head on her knees, still panting. It was only after closing her eyes for a moment and then reopening them did her mind calm down and let her realize that everyone was there, openly worried about her. She then stood up, dusted herself off, and raced right into Marco's arms, embracing him as tightly as she could. Everyone behind Marco quickly joined in the hug. No one said anything. No one dared to complain about the hug lasting too long. This was not the time for that.

Only after everyone pulled away did Marco finally find the words to speak. "Are you okay?"

Star immediately shook her head. "...No." She admitted before going up to her folks and embracing them as well. "Guys...I'm really sorry..."

"For what?" River asked. A reasonable question.

"For being so weird about today."

The others exchanged looks before speaking up again. "Did we do something wrong-" Moon started to speak before being cut off.

"No, Mom, it's not you. It's me." She sighed and looked away, unable to face them. She was internally prepared for any backlash she was about to get for what she was going to say. "I know you're just trying to protect me, and I know you guys mean well. It's just that...everything about today's been...really weird. I mean, first you guys let me sleep in so late. Then Mom picked me up out of bed like I was a little kid and carried me all the way to breakfast, a-and you guys made me a delicious feast. And then Buff Frog had me as a "guest of honor" and I got this cute little chair with a cup holder and snacks, and then-" Star's voice started to trail as the incoherent blubbering took over. Moon embraced her, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"We thought you would like all of that."

"Well...that's part of the problem. I did like it." She finally admitted. "It was nice. I felt...I felt like a little kid again that got all of their parents' undivided attention."

Everyone, including Moon, smiled, beaming at the thought of her liking the love they were showing. But Moon's smile slowly gave away to a confused frown. "That's wonderful. But then why are you upset?"

"Because...I didn't do anything to deserve any of it."

Once again, confused glances were traded. "What are you talking about?" Marco intervened.

"Thank about it. I haven't done anything since we got back from our vacation. I've just been a lazy sack of manure lounging away mooching off of everyone."

Marco put a hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You're doing it again."

She sighed loudly. "...I know."

"We've been back barely a week. There hasn't been anything major for us to need to do yet."

"We do have a community service gathering coming up, however, that you could join us for." Eclipsa said.

"There is?"

"Yes. Globby's been recruited to help build a new integrated playground, and we're all going to pitch in to help build it. You're welcome to join us."

Star's eyes lit up. "That sounds great! I'd love to help!"

"Wonderful! It'll be so much fun. And not to worry, we'll all be there to make sure you don't hurt yourself."

And then her eyes fell. She knew they probably meant well, but boy did those words cut deep. "You guys all think I'm fragile, don't you?"

Eclipsa hadn't considered the ramifications of her words, and she immediately felt guilty. Not to worry, Marco was again here to the rescue.

"They're just worried about you." He reassured her, embracing her. "You...did a lot on Mewni and you overworked yourself a lot. They just don't want any of that to happen again."

Star nodded, almost in a surrender. The logic made too much sense, but her brain would not accept it. Along the way Moon knelled down and also hugged her, which Star happily returned.

"Everything we did today..." She began. "We did out of love. We were more than happy to do it and we're more than happy to do it again."

Now the girl had to fight back more tears. "But I haven't done anything to earn it."

Moon smiled proudly. "Yes you did. You've been an incredible princess and ambassador of the former kingdom of Mewni. You bore the burden of so many unaccounted crimes against our people and monster kind that should have never been your burden to carry. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."

"...But Mom-"

"And even if none of that were true, I'm your mother. I have no right to ever make you think you have to earn my affection."

For whatever reason, this sentence completely stunned Star. It was like she was mentally unable to comprehend the significance of this statement. "...Y...You mean I don't have to?" And that statement completely stunned Moon, as well as everyone around her. "Because...I-I'm willing to work for it. Honest." Everyone grouped in and hugged Star tighter than she had ever been hugged before. The long silence let Star reflect on her word choices, and something inside of her must've clicked for her to realize she was being silly. "I'm really glad I start therapy soon."

"So am I." Marco admitted.

"I'm sorry, everyone."

"Hey, do you...do you think it would be okay if...?"

"If you all came with me to my first session?" Star finished; he nodded quietly. "Of course. I think...I think deep down we all need help. Maybe this is the way we can finally move forward."

Moon stood up and put herself in position to pick Star up again, unapologetically ready to carry her back to the dinner table. "Let's go finish dinner."


Later that night, Star & Marco were up in Star's room, laying in bed and cuddling each other. It was quite the day, and both were relieved it was nearing an end. "Hey..." Star spoke softly. "I love you."

Marco kissed her gently. "Love you too. How're you holding up?"

She shrugged. "I'm hanging in there, I guess. I feel really silly, though."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because...I know that everyone is just looking out for me. They want to protect me and show me how much they love me. And I appreciate it, I do. I just feel like I should be doing more to deserve it."

"But your Mom's right. You don't have to ever work for their love. It's unconditional."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to accept that..." She nuzzled her head against his chest, allowing his heartbeat to calm her down again. "I wish I could just not feel weird about them showing me affection. They're...not going to stop anytime soon, are they?"

"Probably not. I guess they just want to make up for lost time."

"I suppose." She couldn't help but notice the extra gentle touch of his hand against her hair and her shoulder. "You're so gentle."

He kissed the top of her head in response, stalling to find the right words to speak. "You remember when I said I wish I could be very small so I could fit into your pocket?" She looked up at him and nodded. "Well...sometimes I wish you could be very small. So I could fit you into mine, a-and whenever you're feeling down or sad I could just take you out and hold you and...and make you smile again."

Every time he gushed about wanting to make her happy, her heart skipped a beat. It was the sweetest thing. "You're such a sweetheart, Marco." She could feel a tear swelling in her eye. "But you don't have to try that hard to make me happy. Just being you is more than enough."

He gently lifted her chin and kissed her. "Same for you. Thanks."

She smiled and returned another kiss to him. "Hey, could I ask for a favor?"

"Of course."

She took a deep breath. "From now on, if you wake up before I do, could you just...stay with me? You know, lie in bed next to me and just be there?"

It was a simple request. One that Marco was very happy to respect, but also one that made him scratch his head a bit. "Sure. I-I'm sorry, I d-"

"No, it's okay. I'm not upset, I know what you were trying to do. But honestly? I just need you with me. I'll try not to keep you up by yourself too long, it's j-" He cut off her rambling with another kiss.

"Star, you don't have to justify anything. Of course I'll stay with you, you just sleep as long as you want."

A soft smile crossed her face again. "Thanks. Besides, I would've thought you'd want to get your rocks off to me snoring like a lumberjack and drooling on this pillow for hours on end."

And back to the teasing. His face lit up a bright shade of red. "You are never going to let me forget that, are you?"

She proudly shook her head. "Nope."

"Why must you tease me for that?"

"Why is that such a turn-on for you?"

He rolled his eyes so much they almost went into the back of his head. "Touché."

"Okay but seriously though, why?" Marco meekly shrugged his shoulders as they both laughed it off. "That reminds me, I'm totally going to start taking naps before we make love just to get you going."

"Oh god, we are such dorks."

"Yes we are." She hugged him and gave him another kiss. "But you're my dork."

"And you're mine."

Yes, they were both dorks. But they owned their dorkiness and reveled in it. Nothing could take that away. And so they kissed once more before preparing themselves for their nightly excursion. If today proved anything, it was that Star & her loved ones had an incredibly bumpy road ahead of them. But they were all ready to face it together, no matter what they had to do or how long it took to finally move forward with their lives.

End of Episode 1.

Welcome, one and all, to the fourth fic in my post-Cleaved timeline. This one will be very much episodic, in a similar vein to my "The New Adventures of Phineas and Ferb" series that I wrote many years ago. Disclaimer: I do not recommend reading that story because, well, that was from a very different time in my life and frankly I'm not very proud of most of the crap I wrote for that series. I'm hoping to do much better with this one. No timetable for updates, so just be on the lookout for it. Also, work on "Beautiful Christmas" is continuing, and while that story is technically a part of "Ballad of Earth-Mewni," it is a separate entry because it's longer and I'm writing it differently than I am this series. So there you go.

As always, please read & review!