What Are We? | Chapter 17 : Defiant

Edit - thank you anonymous curator who featured this ily so much :heart: :heart: :smile:

Hey guys, here's the next chapter of my Starco fanfic. This one is a little sad, so I hope you enjoy it. ^^ Sorry it took so long. Balancing school, art and a fanfic is a challenge.

If you haven't read all the chapters yet, they are in my Wiki Entry here: Chapter List

And here's a link to my Wattpad, if you'd rather read it there: What Are We? Star vs the Forces of Evil

Credit goes to Jojodear    for the background image.

~•~

She held two fingers to the side of her pale neck, checking for a pulse. She felt nothing.

Her skin was cold to the touch, stiff and without resilience. She was for sure gone.

Star had sunk to her knees, a steady stream of tears leaking out of her eyes. Her mind could not believe that any of this was real, and was denying the fact that this had just happened. Queen Moon Butterfly the Undaunted was nothing but a carcass on the ground, a framework of what she had used to be.

"Maybe we could... b-bring her back? Maybe I could do a spell...?" Star said, turning to Marco who had had watched her struggle to accept the fact. He had his own tears starting to form.

"I don't think that would work, Star... She was gone as soon as Eclipsa won," Marco choked. His eyes were on the princess's face; her face had tensed up in preparation for another wave of tears.

Star had let out a soft whimper, using her hand to wipe the tears leaking from her eyes. She had turned her back to Marco, burying her head into her deceased mother's chest.

Marco had watched her, unsure of how to comfort her. There was nothing he could do in this situation. The queen was dead, replaced by a queen who should have been dead centuries ago, and judging by her power, there was nothing to two of them could do most likely. All he could do was reassure her to the best of his ability.

Marco had winced, walking over to her quietly, sitting beside the grieving blonde. He had placed his pointer finger to her back, feeling her spine as he slowly lowered the other fingers, causing her to wince and turn her head. The boy had gently rubbed her back, calming her down a little, as marked by the sobs becoming tiny squeaks. He knew she was broken. He could see it in her eyes, once blue and bright, now dull like the twilight zone of the sea. The purplish heart on her right cheek had a tiny crack in it, glowing slightly.

Star had threw her head into his chest, using her hand to grasp his hoodie. She was shivering, not from the cold but from the distress she was in. Her mind was in denial, vying for dominance. Marco gently wrapped his arms around her small figure, rubbing her back. He had gently removed her devil horns, allowing her hair to cascade down her back, and softly buried his nose into her soft blonde mane. He shushed her as her sobs became weaker.

"Shhh... I... I don't know what to say to you, Star... except that I'll be here for you... no matter what happens," he had whispered.

"B-because there's nothing to say..." she whimpered, "My mom is... dead... because of me. I should have listened to her. She was only trying to protect me, and I had to be an idiot and... and go after Toffee alone... then again with Eclipsa. I just couldn't listen, could I? I'm... I'm nothing, Marco..."

Marco had sighed, his frown becoming deeper. His hand came up to her head and he gently stroked her hair. "Nothing is your fault, Star. You're amazing... and if your mom were still here, she'd be telling you how proud she is of you. You have come so far in your journey, and you have matured to much. Star, please don't blame yourself. You gave it your all... you should be proud..." He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. That once childish charm that he had seen within her from when they were friends was gone, replaced by a mature aura. The old Star Butterfly was dead. She had to grow up, and learn to face things on her own more than ever.

"I love you, Star. And... I'll try to you through this the best that I can," she heard him say. Star had shut her eyes, feeling a calming sensation wash over her. All she saw was black. She could feel no emotion. She was lifeless, emotionless. She felt Marco's embrace release, and she opened her eyes to see him looming over her.

"I think we should have a small funeral for your mother... what do you say, Star?"

Star had nodded her head at him. She knew they had no time to throw a proper funeral. After all, Eclipsa was probably at the castle right now, making changes to the government. Star knew in her heart that she had to put a stop to it, and that she had to dig deeper than ever. "That would be nice..."

~•~

The castle was in eye's view. The rolling hills of the Mewman plains shielded it from her eyes, but she knew this is what she wanted.

Eclipsa smirked, adjusting the newly acquired crown on her head. She was swoon in as the new queen of Mewni. The people of Mewni shall bow down to her reign. She ruled them now. Not Moon, and not Star in the future. She was determined to make things right in this backwards kingdom. For her husband. For monsters alike.

The new queen had formed an energy ball in her hand, blasting the door straight off of its hinges, leaving a charred, smoky ring in its wake. When the smoke cleared, the bald man had come into view. A disgusting smirk had appeared on her face, which caused River to look at her in surprise.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me," Eclipsa said, the smirk on her face unchanging.

"Who are you, and why are you here," River replied, furrowing his eyebrows, "don't make me get the guards! You have completely destroyed my door!"

"That is of no importance, former king of Mewni," the newly crowned queen mocked, giving a slight chuckle. She cleared her throat before opening it to speak again. "Who am I? Well, I am Eclipsa, queen of darkness. Pleased to have made your acquaintance." She had stuck her hand out for him to shake, but didn't get the reaction that she was hoping for.

"Queen of Darkness you say? Why... you were supposed to be dead for hundreds of years! And former king? I am the king and this is my castle, and my daughter hasn't become queen yet," River had spoke frantically, careful not to reveal anymore crucial information to the evil queen.

"Oh, I guess you are not one for handshakes. Very well." She retracted her hand, placing it at her side before bringing it up to look at her nails. She then spoke again. "Apparently I am alive and well, but your family? Heh, let's just say they aren't doing so well. Now, as I was saying, River... I believe you have something that belongs to me. The castle, it is mine."

"What have you done with my family," he spat. As the conversation grew longer and longer with the queen, the more afraid he became. There was something off about her, and he didn't like it. A lump formed in his throat when those horrid words rolled off of her tongue.

Eclipsa gave a small chuckle. "Well let's just say that Moon is no more. And your daughter? Well... she is no longer in line for the throne." The words spun around and around in the king's head. Taunting him. Scaring him. This woman had hurt his family. That was the conclusion that he had came up with as he connected the dots within his head.

"No..." the former king trailed off, his eyes watering a little. His Moon Pie was... no more? What could she mean by that? However, the more he thought about it, he came up with the worst possible conclusion. Where was Star? Was she okay? His apprehension was growing.

The evil sorceress pointed to the newly acquired crown on the top of her head. "I am afraid so. Your wife had given me this crown as a token of settlement, which makes me the new queen, and makes her waste away. You see, part of our deal was that she kill Toffee, and I would be set free to give me an opportunity to run Mewni again. However, two queens cannot exist at a time so let's just say that Moon Butterfly has parished."

The king could hardly speak. The words bounced around in his head like a rubber ball. He didn't want to believe it, and his sense of denial was threatening to take over. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the queen of darkness spoke once more.

"And now that I have the Butterfly crown, that gives me authority. So, former Mewman king, I suggest you pack your bags this instant. Do I make myself clear?"

He stuttered, scrambling to form words as he started to sob. He was all alone, with nobody to call his own. His Moon Pie was gone, and he had no idea where his daughter was. His family had been torn in two. His eyes wandered over to Eclipsa's who was steadily losing patience. He took his crown off the top of his head and gave a short nod before making his way upstairs to fetch his belongings, which caused the queen of darkness to smile.

The queen had made her way up the steps so that she could look upon her new kingdom. Mewmans were walking around, whispering among themselves as the two doors opened, revealing her presence. The queen had put both her hands in the air, bringing them to focus on her.

"I am Eclipsa. Queen of Darkness. It's a pleasure to be ruling you again."

A single gasp was heard from the crowd.

~•~

Whispers were heard. The phrase indescribable. Star had sighed as she brought her wand close. As much as it pained her to do so, she knew that it had to be done. This was the second spell she had learned in her life. At five years old, shortly after the wand-destroying spell. She didn't why her mother had taught her this, but now it had all made sense. She was so naïve to believe that had grandmother was sent to a grandma farm. Now that her own mother was dead, she knew how crucial this spell was.

The crystal on her wand glowed a dim shade of gold, causing the body of the former queen to start to rise. Her mother had look like she had been sleeping, taking an enteral nap despite her tattered battle armor.

Star began to tear up as she finished the last of her spell, watching her mother be encircled in golden ribbons. The princess had took a step back, her hair moving slightly in unison with the spell. Marco had looked on behind her, in awe at the scene.

Abruptly, the spell had stopped, her mother's body had begun to disintegrate, morphing into a fine gray dust, falling into a blue urn that had seemingly appeared from thin hair. Bit by bit, the ash had made its way into the urn, dropping into Star's open palms. The princess had grasped the urn in her hands, a smile breaking through her melancholy. She gently touched her forehead to the metal, shutting her eyes as she spoke. "I love you mommy... I will make you proud, I promise."

Marco had walked over, placing a hand on the broken girl's shoulder. He had looked down at the urn resting in her pale hands, his eyes still wet with tears. Due to how close the both of their families had become over the time they had known each other, he felt nearly as heartbroken by this loss she was. "I... I promise to look after your daughter with your absence," he had managed to choke out.

The two teens were then silenced, paying respect to the fallen elder. Within this silence, Star's broken mind had begun to race. Like in her mother's story, she was made the new queen shortly after her mother had died. If her predictions were correct, she would be made the new queen of Mewni. The thought made her apprehensive. She wasn't ready. Not at all. She still had so much of her life to live, so much to do and figure out. She couldn't handle the stress, the responsibility of ruling over her kingdom.

Then again, Eclipsa would make a fine queen, wouldn't she? Visions flashed of the tyranny she would cause. In Star's mind, the dark queen was nothing but a warmongering criminal, who deserved everything that had happened to her. She had killed her mother... she felt nothing but rage, and she was going to force karma to hit her with the upmost force if her life depended on it.

The anger fizzled out, now replaced by sadness. She was alone, with the wool pulled over her eyes. A lost baby duckling in a world of struggles. She didn't know what would happen next, and her rock was gone. Moon Butterfly was dead. She was a partially-orphaned child now, one without a mother. Her mother's strict demeanor had all made sense now. She wanted to prepare her for the future so that she knew how to handle things on her own. And for her to disregard her and rebel against her... She felt guilty. Maybe this is what she deserved. I'm sorry for doubting you, she had said in her mind even though her mother probably couldn't hear her.

Star had opened her eyes, the silence still going strong. She had looked over her shoulder at Marco, who still had his eyes closed. She could tell that he was as stressed as she was. She had looked back down at the urn in her hands, running a hand over it one last time before gently setting it in her purse.

Marco was interrupted when he felt a pressure on his torso. The confusion was lifted when he saw what was occurring. Star was hugging him, her face shielded by her bangs. The boy had sighed before placing her devil horns back on her head, hugging her by the waist. With this loss, he knew he had to try his best to be the anchor that she no longer had.

With a swift motion, the boy had moved her bangs out of her eyes as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were reddish; she had cried so much to the point where she was nearly out of tears to cry. Marco had gently pressed his lips to her forehead, attempting to soothe her shook mind. Star had looked up at him as he gently retracted his head to meet her gaze once again, the tears within her eyes starting back up again.

Marco was caught off guard as he felt two hands touch his cheeks, then a warm, soft presence pressed against his lips. Star had gave him a ionate kiss on the lips, her hands bringing his face closer. The boy had readily accepted the kiss, kissing her back for a few seconds before pulling away from her. They haven't kissed in a while, let alone seen each other for a few days, so this was like a monsoon in the midst of a desert. Their blood moon-bound souls were woven like a quilt now, and they were true soulmates.

The silence was broken by Star, opening her mouth to speak. "I am going after Eclipsa."

As much as Marco didn't want to say it, he sighed. He didn't want to lose Star again, but millions of lives were in danger, along with the integrity of the throne. He was ready to battle as his hand felt the cold metal body of his dimensional scissors. "I'll be right behind you, Star."

There was no time to waste, their kingdom, their lives were in jeopardy.

~•~

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