All original characters, dialog and situations used from Star vs The Forces of Evil are ? 2015-2019 The Walt Disney Company.

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All original characters, dialog and situations used from the fanfics are ? 2015-present by their respective authors.

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This is a work of fiction portraying alternate universes; all similarities to beings living, dead, or undead are entirely convergent.

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Possible spoilers between the ??and ??.


I

"We ... kissed."
"I thought the booth was magic."
"You're my squire."
"Which is a job I take very seriously."
"I
have a boyfriend. His name is Tom."
"I was just trying to get us out of here!"
"Hey. I'm glad you were honest with me ... just maybe not that honest."

Marco awoke with a start. For a few seconds he was confused as to where he was, expecting the interior of the photo booth. Slowly he realized he was in Star's darkened bedroom on Mewni, sitting on the sofa in front of the big screen TV, now off. He was not alone, snuggled under a blanket with Star on Friendship Thursday.

Marco's brain screamed, Snuggled under a blanket with Star on Friendship Thursday? What?

Marco looked down to see that he and his bestie were wrapped in a tight hug; Star was asleep with her head against his chest, ear over his heart. Marco was in his light blue pajamas while Star was in her blue nightgown. Marco noticed a very slight smile on Star's lips, and a light glow in her heart-shaped Magic-Pips, what Star called her "Cheek-Thingies." It was something of a small miracle that she wasn't snoring.

Earlier in the day Star had gone on a private mission to the Cloud Kingdom to lift Princess Ponyhead's spirits. Ponyhead was despondent, all the way down to her body bone, over losing her unihorn in a fight with Meteora, the former Miss Heinous of St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Star returned from her visit successful but exhausted.

Star's smile and calm breathing told Marco that Star was in a blissful sleep, not experiencing a nightmare. More than once since Marco returned to Mewni, Star had waked the castle with her screaming. Marco was having nightmares as well; reliving the "evil episode," as he'd come to think of the booth kiss, was one of his nightmares, just not one of the night-terrors sort. Those usually ended with Star being killed and Marco being unable to prevent it. The worst one was helplessly watching Star commit suicide by blowing up Ludo's wond ... because it wasn't just a nightmare, it was a memory.

Marco was quite happy snuggling with his bestie, but he had to admit to himself he was confused. Star had been very understanding about his confession that he had developed feelings for her, but she rejected him nonetheless; romantically, anyway. She still wanted to be his bestie, and Marco still wanted to be hers. Although humiliated thanks to the manipulation of that evil little Hirsch Goblin, he was glad it happened. It allowed him to stop masking his feelings and allowed them both to reset their friendship. They both could stop hiding behind the "princess and her squire" fa?ade and be besties again. Resurrecting Friendship Thursday was the first thing they did.

Still, Star's behavior went far beyond what Marco, and, judging by people's reactions, everyone but Star, thought was typical behavior between best friends. She had always been handsy and even a little clingy with him, but in the days since the photo booth, Star had taken it to a new level.

Star spent some time with Tom, going on dates and casual hangouts, but since Marco returned to Mewni she spent most of her time with him. As he thought about it, he realized over the last several months Star's dates with Tom had steadily become less frequent and shorter. Marco assumed it was due to Star's involvement in Mewmin-Monster affairs, among other commitments. He had seen with his own eyes at Lava Lake Beach that Tom and Star were definitely smooch buddies, yet that, and the hugs and handholding, seemed to be the extent of their relationship. Marco thought it was likely there were as many hugs and as much handholding lately between him and Star as between Star and Tom.

Marco was good friends with Tom as well as Star, so he worried about Star's and Tom's relationship for their sakes. Tom's investment in Star often seemed as shallow as Star's in Tom. Despite Tom's protestations to the contrary, Marco knew darn well that Tom had forgotten Star's fifteenth birthday. Whenever Star delved into politics or went on an adventure that was more than just fun times, Tom was seldom to be found. The time that he asked to go in Marco's place, investigating the disappearance of Buff Frog, it seemed to be motivated by jealousy of Marco as much as a desire to be with Star.

The reason Marco was alone with Star in the photo booth was Tom's lack of interest in what Star wanted to do. Technically, Marco didn't want to "do" the photo booth with Star either, although for different reasons. But Star so wanted to have fun with her bestie she wouldn't take no for an answer, physically preventing Marco from leaving, and even going so far as to rob him to pay for the photos. Star wasn't being mean or overbearing, she just didn't realize where they were in their friendship ... as usual.

Marco also knew that Tom had not helped Star in dealing with the fact she was not a "true" Butterfly. Star was feeling very guilty about the fact that she was descended not from "granny" Eclipsa, but from a random peasant girl the Magic High Commission swapped for Eclipsa's half-Monster daughter, Meteora, 300 years ago. Star had wanted never to be queen, and now, on top of that, she felt that becoming queen would steal what rightfully belonged to Eclipsa and Meteora.

Marco stroked the hair of his bestie. Star wasn't beautiful by Earth standards, but she was considered attractive, even cute. She was built like a ten-year-old boy, and her fashion sense was more like a fourth grader's than a teenager's. Her femininity was balanced by her physical strength and fighting spirit, both inherited from her father's side of the family. But Marco didn't really care about any of that. She was a surprising mix of dainty princess, weirdness, tomboy, leader, wildness, fighter, and empathy. That all made her the coolest girl he knew; the entire package was beautiful to him. She might not want to be queen, might not believe she deserved to be queen, or that she even had the right to be queen, but Marco believed with all his heart that she would be the greatest queen of Mewni ever.

Marco's contemplation was interrupted by Queen Moon kicking open the door to the room. To forsake propriety and enter without knocking, not to mention entering the room as Star would, was a sure sign something serious was afoot.

"Star, I ..." Moon began as she turned on the lights, stopping when she spied Star and Marco in their close, if not intimate, embrace. She eyed the two for a moment. She knew what was going on among Star, Marco and Tom, better, clearly, than they themselves. While she was proud of how far the demon Tom had come in facing his, well, demons, she knew the person who had been the most influential in the growth Star had recently experienced was Marco. Star certainly valued Marco's presence and counsel more than Tom's, although Moon was uncertain whether Star was conscious of that.

Moon also knew that it was not a one-way street. From talking to Marco's parents after Marco was abducted a year ago, listening to Star's stories about their adventures, and her own observations, she knew that Star's influence had changed Marco.

Moon was also under the impression that Tom's growth had been in large part due to the influence of Marco, either directly or through Star.

A union between the Lucitor and Butterfly kingdoms was desirable on a political level, but Moon believed Marco was a better fit for Star. However, given the interference of her family, especially her Aunt Etheria, in her own love life as a young princess and queen, Moon knew she had to allow Star to find her own way romantically. She just hoped Star came to her senses before it was too little, too late.

Marco shook Star, who jerked fully awake.

Star brandished her wond, shouting, "Wha? Demon! Mom? What ... what are you doing here?"

The corners of Moon's mouth twitched. Out of self-preservation, and with King River's help, Marco had learned to read Moon's behaviors, body language, and tics. Unfortunately for Star, her attack-now-think-later impulsive personality left her unable to pick up on such subtle cues. Marco knew Moon was about to subject an oblivious Star to some brutal teasing.

"Star ... I thought you and Tom are ..." Moon formed her left thumb and index finger into a circle, while slowly inserting her right index finger.

Star turned beet red, exclaiming, "Uh, what, bup, ack, no, mom! We most certainly are not!"

Something deep in the back of Marco's brain told him to question their interpretation of what he and Star had just seen. However, his embarrassment over what Moon appeared to be implying about the behavior between Star and Marco overrode the analytical part of his subconscious.

"Never mind," Moon said.

Moon resumed her usual cold, regal, bearing. "We have received intel that Meteora has attacked Pigeon Castle. Eclipsa and I are leaving tonight for the Pigeon Kingdom to investigate; hopefully, we can get a lead on Meteora's current whereabouts. Your father is in charge while I'm gone, but ... you know by now who will really be in charge."

"Awwwww mom, do I have to?"

"Yes, you do, Star." She turned to Marco. "I'm counting on you to be a good squire and not only keep Star safe, but make sure she fulfills her duties."

Star was staring unhappily at the floor, so missed the wink Moon gave to Marco. Moon turned away, saying, "I hope we shan't be gone long," as she walked out through the door.

Star continued staring at the floor in silence. Just as it was becoming uncomfortable for Marco, she looked up, an evil grin on her face.

Marco groaned. "I can't talk you out of it, whatever it is?"

"Nope," Star replied. "Several months ago, Omnitraxus showed me how to create portals to travel to alternate universes." Star scratched her head, thinking through the memory. "Then, for some reason, he started talking about fighting some eye-tally-on horse. It was very weird. In any case, I want to finally try it."

Marco sighed.

"A magical adventure it is ..." they said in unison.

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Meteora rested in a defile between the Forest of Probable Itchiness and the Mewni River, which she had been following since rampaging through Pigeon Castle. She considered her options for how best to approach Butterfly Castle, where she would seize what was rightfully hers. She decided her best bet was to cross the river, then follow it to the Castle cornfields. She would be somewhat exposed following the river, but she didn't care. If there were any villages or Mewmins in her way, she would make people cry, make people cry.

As Meteora stood, grinning in anticipation, everything turned pitch black. She could neither see nor hear anything; it was like the entire world had ceased. A single golden dot of light appeared, growing into a figure cloaked in black, glowing faintly. It spoke, providing the only sound.

"Welcome, Meteora," the cloaked figure said. Its voice was that of an old man, raspy and somewhat high pitched. "I have been expecting you. You've done well, and now I sense you wish to continue your quest to take back the throne of Mewni."

The cloaked figure's dress and voice were familiar to Meteora, but she couldn't quite place him. "What's it to you, old man," yelled Meteora.

"You spent too much time chasing after the wrong princess. While you were pursuing Princess Turdina, Princess Star became too powerful for you."

"Like corn she did," Meteora said angrily through clenched teeth.

The cloaked figure cackled. "The hate is swelling in you now. Use your magic." The cloaked figure opened his arms. "As you can see, I am unarmed. Strike me down with it."

Meteora bared her teeth and growled. Her eyes began to glow green.

"Good. I can feel your anger; it gives you focus. I am defenseless. Strike me down with all your hatred, then you will be free." The cloaked figure cackled again. "Or are you too afraid?"

"I'm afraid of nothing." Meteora fired green, magical, energy from her eyes.

With a slight wave of his hand, the cloaked figure redirected the energy around himself and back at Meteora. She was knocked solidly to the ground.

"Good. Goooood. Your hate has made you powerful! It ... ack-k-k." The man doubled over in a coughing fit.

The man hawked and spit, then straightened up. In a different voice, the cloaked figure said, "Okay, forget that. You don't know me anyway."

The cloaked figure's new voice still had a slight rasp to it, but it was now clearly female. This new voice was also familiar to Meteora, but she could not place it either.

"I, too, wish for you to take the throne. But you are not powerful enough to take it by force," the cloaked figure said.

Meteora stood. She said haughtily, "You're mistaken."

"Oh, no, my friend. It is you who are mistaken. About a great many things."

Heaving a sigh, Meteora asked, "Now what?"

"A lesson," the cloaked figure said. She waved her hands, conjuring a cauldron over a roaring fire. "Imagine the universe as this big old cauldron, magic is the bubbly stew inside, and the Butterfly wond is the spoon. Now the spoon can only skim the surface of the hobo gravy, watery and brown. But if you want to get to the chunks, you've got to dip down." Chunks of ... whatever ... rose from the surface of the stew, dripping brown goo. "Get it?"

Meteora crossed her arms, glaring at the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure sighed, as the cauldron and fire disappeared. "Okay, look. You can do magic without a wond. You just have to dip down, you know? Dip down. Dip down! Your ... 'eye beam magic,' where did you think that came from?"

Meteora was quiet, digesting the lesson of the hobo stew. A toothy grin slowly creased her face.

"I will teach you how to do more wondless magic," the cloaked figure continued, "how to hide yourself from detection by spying spells, and give you the knowledge to take the throne and your revenge. But all of this will take some time. You will have to be content putting your quest on hold in order to guarantee you will be successful."

The smile disappeared from Meteora's face, to be replaced by an angry frown.

"Patience, my friend. In time she will seek you out. And when she does, you will be ready. Star has grown strong. Only with my teachings can you defeat Star ... and her queen."

Meteora considered the cloaked figure's offer for a few moments, then nodded her assent.

"Good," the cloaked figure said. "I'm looking forward to your training. In time you will call me Master."

Meteora mumbled, "Like hell."

"Until then, you may call me ... Bob."

"Bob? How is that any better?"

"Just do it."

"Fine, I'll do it. But you have to call me Baby Smooth."

"No."

"Grrrrr..."

A dimensional portal opened next to Meteora. Bob stood silent, watching. Meteora hesitated, then stepped through the portal. Bob then left through a dimensional portal of her own; the darkness dissipated, light and sound returning to the now empty defile.

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Some hours after Moon left, the quiet and darkness of Star's room gave way to the sound and light of an opening space-time portal. Star jumped out of the portal, followed by Marco.

Star flipped on the lights then, exhausted, they both flopped onto Star's bed. After a few minutes of silence, Star sat up, turning to face Marco. "Fun?" she asked.

"Fun," he replied. "We absolutely have to make this a regular thing, and I think we ought to keep a journal. Somebody might be interested in reading about these alternate universes."

"Good ideas," Star cried, bouncing up and down on the bed in excitement. "Oh, but a journal's a lot of work."

"You've been working hard all year; I think you'll survive keeping a journal."

"Meh," Star pouted. After a few seconds she brightened, saying, "I know ..." She raised her wond, then said, "Super Sparkly Stenographer Stoat!"

Pink magical energy leapt from the wond, forming into a white, yet sparkly, winged cat with a notebook and pen ... looking disturbingly like Baby.

"Star," Marco said, "that's a flying cat."

"Okay, so I don't actually know what a stoat is."

"It's a ..." Marco began, but clammed up when Star donned her I-don't-care-so-shut-yer-yap-or-I'll-hurt-you face.

"Um ... so ... let's see, that AU ..." Marco began.

"The hoodah whatta now?" Star interrupted.

"AU. Shorthand for alternate universe. Every time we talk about an alternate universe, I don't want to have to say alternate universe. Saying alternate universe every time just slows down talking about the alternate universe. I think I just said too many 'alternate universe'es."

Star stifled a snicker. So cute, she thought.

?? "So, it appears that the timeline of one universe is not necessarily in perfect sync with any other's. That AU's Star and Marco were, what, sixteen? And they'd just recently met?" Marco asked.

"Yeah," Star replied, as Babystoat wrote furiously in its notebook. "Their Toffee waged a successful war against the Mewmins, and the survivors fled to Earth. Their Diazes and Butterflys met when the entire Diaz family were made guides to the entire Butterfly family."

"It was fascinating to see how the Mewmins were handling Earth culture, especially the royals," Marco said.

"I bet it was fascinating, what with you dating Princess Spiderbite," Star teased, "and doing other things with her." Star waggled her eyebrows at Marco.

Marco blushed, whining, "Star, you know that wasn't actually me. Well, it was me, but not me, me."

Star giggled at the flustered Marco. So cute, she thought. Whoa, that's twice.

"I think we should refer to them as Star and Marco, rather than 'us.'"

Star scowled, saying, "I'm a princess, I can do what I want."

"Fine. You have a crush on me that the whole of Echo Creek and the Mewmin community can plainly see, including Penelope, who thinks you are a slutty bitch as a result."

"Right. Third person. Got it."

"I have to say," Marco continued, "that those people need to learn to keep their tongues in their own mouths."

Both Star and Marco experienced a huge shudder.

"I'm never going to do that," Star said.

"Right with you," Marco agreed. ??

"Still, there were lots of good things in that AU," Star mused. "That corn dish they have that we don't was beyond tasty. What was it called?"

"Corn Wallace," Marco answered. "And I have a surprise for you." Even though, for safety reasons, they had agreed to bring little, or better yet nothing, back from the AUs they visited, the "Safe Kid" couldn't stop himself. With a flourish, he pulled a piece of paper from his hoodie pocket.

"Bam! The recipe for Corn Wallace! I'll make it for you next Friendship Thursday."

Drooling slightly, Star asked, "Why are you so good to me?"

"Only the best for my bestie, milady."

A narwhal suddenly landed atop Marco. Smiling, but with a slight edge to her voice, Star stated, "I told you to not ever call me that."

A muffled voice came from beneath the narwhal, "Sorry, mi ... Star."

Star stifled a huge yawn. "Bedtime, I think." She turned off the lights, stretched out on the bed, and was asleep within seconds, snoring up a storm.

Star was so deeply asleep she failed to hear a muffled, "Star? Star? A little help, please? Star? I guess I'll sleep right here..."

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?? The Once and Future Queen by LordRonaldwalis ??


Stay amazing!