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The Great Christmas Tree Heist

Summary: A Turtle Tots Rise of the TMNT holiday special, where Raph, Donnie and Leo all steal a Christmas tree for Mikey and things go wrong like they always do.

Disclaimer: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle belongs to Andy Suriano, Ant Ward, and Nickelodeon. All rights go to them.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and down in the lair, young Mikey did ask for a gift oh so rare.

Not games or toys or yo-yos to fling, in fact he asked Santa for just one little thing.

A Christmas tree, a real one, with lights all aglow, like the children he'd seen have in all the holiday shows.

And thus was decided by his big brothers three, this year they'd come back with a real Christmas tree.

So they waited and waited till the youngest was asleep, then rose from their beds and up to the streets.

A manhole was lifted then pushed to the side, three heads popping up to view the outside.

The snow was falling gently on the streets of New York, Donnie said something smart, Leo called him a dork.

Raph did shush them and told them to wait, then rose from the sewers to make sure it was safe.

With no humans around, blue and purple emerged and I'm going to stop rhyming now cause it's getting absurd.

“Okay, boys,” Raph said in a whisper, unnecessary since the streets were completely empty this time of night. Normally it was far too cold for them to be out this late but they had all dressed warmly, wearing matching coats of their own signature colors, as well as scarfs, hats, mittens, and boots so there was (hopefully) no risk of catching a cold or getting frostbite. “You remember the plan?”

“Yes, Raph, we know what the plan is,” Donnie scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Stealing a Christmas tree!” Leo enthusiastically answered, giving his older brother two thumbs up.

Raph chittered at his brother, correcting him quickly, “Not stealing, borrowing. And just for one day.”

Leo deflated a bit at that, while Donnie raised a skeptical eyebrow. Raph cleared his throat after a short awkward silence, before getting them all back on track. “Leo, you got the coordinates loaded up on your phone?”

Leo pulled out his cellphone, double checking the map was loaded correctly before nodding. “Yep!”

“And Don, you got the equipment?”

“Affirmative.” Donnie patted the large duffle bag he was carrying.

“Then it's time to begin Operation: Get Mikey a Christmas Tree or Die Trying!”

“Eh, too wordy,” Leo said in disapproval. “How bout we call it the Great Christmas Tree Heist! Now that rolls off the tongue.”

“It's not a heist,” Raph argued. “And I'm the leader so I get to make the names.” The snapper started down the street, not waiting for the other two to follow. “Now let's hurry up and get that present. We only got a few hours before Mike wakes up.”

“Oh, fearless leader,” Leo's voice sang, causing Raph to flinch and glance over his shoulder. The twins stared at him with bemused expressions, the slider jabbing a finger in the opposite direction. “The tree is that way.”

The red turtle's face lit up in a blush, sputtering out an excuse as he shuffled past the two. “Right well, Raph knew that. I just got… turned around.”

Leo and Donnie snickered as they fell in step behind their embarrassed brother.

…

Under Leo's careful directions the three turtles arrived at the tree lot with no issues. However, they did run into a problem once they got there, a large fence and locked gate, the only things that seemed to pass for security in this place. None of this deterred Raph in the slightest. In fact the sight of thick pines peeking over the fenceline only fueled his determination and without any warning he rammed into the gate, trying to knock it open.

He bounced off instead.

“Uh, Raph, shouldn't we try not breaking the door down,” Leo logically stated. “Kinda a big clue somebody broke in.”

“It's fine,” Raph grunted, pressing his shoulder into the gate’s surprisingly tough frame and pushing into it, hoping for any give. “Donnie's got a fix for it.”

“Yes, because of course I’m carrying around an accurately sized replacement door in my duffle bag,” Donnie sarcastically quipped.

“See, it's fine,” Raph said, too distracted to pick up on the obvious sarcasm. He dug his heels in and pushed harder.

“Sigh,” Don groaned with a face-palm. “Oh well, I suppose just let him wear himself out. He won't be able to break it down anyways.”

“Yes I will!” Raph shouted back.

“So why'd we pick this place exactly?” Leo asked, looking at his twin in confusion. “I think there's easier places to rob.”

“Not robbing!” Raph yelled, the veins in his neck starting to pop out from the strain.

“A couple of reasons, actually,” Donnie began, completely ignoring Raph. “First, we all agreed we were getting a real tree not some plastic knockoff which really limited our options. Since this place was closer than the others and had no security cameras, it seemed like the best spot. Not to mention it's run by a man in his seventies so unlikely he'd be up this late to interrupt us.”

“So we're stealing from an old man?” Leo asked in concern. “Isn't that kind of wrong?”

“It's not stealing!” Raph growled, feeling his strength start to waver with still no give on the door.

Again the snapping turtle went mostly unheard as Donnie replied to Leo instead. “Yeah well, most people already bought their trees for the year so any leftovers are just taking up space. So really our quote, unquote, ‘borrowing,’” Donnie did air quotes in emphasis. “...is really more of a benefit to him than a crime.”

“Right, I'm sure the police would see it that way too,” Leo teased, winking and elbowing his twin.

Raph's muscles finally gave out and with one last strained scream, he collapsed against the door, panting and defeated. Leo and Donnie went over to check on him, the blue turtle tapping him on the forehead. “You good, big guy?” he asked when he received no acknowledgement from his exhausted brother.

“Yeah,” Raph huffed, weakly batting Leo's hand away. “Just… gotta… catch my breath. Then I'll… try again.”

“Orrrrr we try something a little less asinine,” Donnie countered.

Raph and Leo shared a confused look. “Wha's that mean?” the older asked.

“I think it means epic,” Leo said with a shrug.

Donnie groaned, running a hand down his face. “My point being, there is another way in which you neglected to notice.” He gestured at the wall with a pointed look.

“Oh yeah, good idea, Dee! We can climb over!” Leo shouted, scooting over to his purple counterpart's side. “Boost me up!” He spread his arms and legs wide in preparation to be lifted but Donnie made no move towards him.

“You are confident and have a great personality,” Donnie joked flatly, expression focused as he searched inside the bag on his shoulders. Though a small smirk did cross his face when Leo howled with laughter.

Finally he found what he was looking for, pulling out a grapple line and hook. “But in all seriousness, how about instead of breaking ourselves trying to get in, let's do this the smart way. Or as I like to call it…” Donnie swung the rope around a few times before throwing it up towards the wall. “My way!” he finished with a dramatic flourish.

Unfortunately, the softshell’s aim had been ever so slightly off, causing the hook to bounce off the top before plummeting straight down. Donnie was too busy gloating to notice it, the metal falling directly on his head, knocking him to the ground.

“Dee, you okay?” Raph asked, trying to rise to his feet to check on him even though his legs felt like jelly.

Donnie sat up and rubbed at the bruise forming under his mask, face flushed in embarrassment from Leo's hysterical laughter. The blue turtle was full-on rolling on the ground, feet kicking the air in delight, throwing snow this way and that with each frantic movement, creating a lopsided snow angel underneath him.

“Yes, I'm fine,” Donnie finally muttered to Raph. “The only thing hurt is my pride.” He winced as the bump on his head throbbed. “And a possible concussion.”

Leo was kind enough to check Donnie’s head after he had recovered enough from his laughing fit to focus, using the light from his phone to check his brother's eyes for any dilation. Once he was sure it was nothing more than a light bruise, Leo picked up the grappling hook and tried his hand at it. He managed to catch the edge on his first attempt and was quick to rub this in Donnie’s face. “Huh, look at that. And with zero head injuries, too. You proud of me, Don?”

“No but I am considering asking Santa for a replacement twin,” Donnie rudely retorted.

Leo snorted. “Bold of you to assume you got on the nice list, Dee.”

“Knock it off you two,” Raph scolded before the twin turtles arguing could break into a fight. He forced himself to stand, testing to see if he could walk yet. His legs were wobbly but stable and he managed to join his brothers, positioning himself between them just in case they didn't get the message. “We're here for the tree, remember? So let's just focus on that.”

“Okay, I'll go first!” Leo exclaimed, racing over to the rope and climbing quickly. Donnie was still salty but he said nothing more, climbing up behind his brother with an annoyed frown. Raph clambered up after both, ignoring the subtle aching in his arms.

While the softshell and snapper took their time climbing, Leo rushed, thanks to the excitement and adrenaline pulsing through his veins. Once he reached the top he plopped down on the small ledge, leaning forward so he could watch his brothers’ progression. They were both only about halfway up and Leo couldn't help but tease them for it. “C’mon, slow pokes. I've seen grandmas that move faster than you two.”

“Shut it, Nardo,” Donnie snapped, sounding slightly out of breath. Out of the siblings he was the least athletic and wore out the quickest during playtime, so it was no surprise he was struggling here.

“Just be patient, Leo,” Raph added, watching the softshell closely. He would have been at the top with Leo already if not for Donnie, but he didn't mind. This way he would be able to catch him if his brother ended up losing his grip. Which seemed necessary since Donnie was clearly struggling, huffing and puffing tiredly. So Raph reached a hand up to help support him, only to be stubbornly kicked away. The red turtle let out a yelp, less in pain and more in surprise, watching stunned as Donnie wiggled up a few more inches on his own. Raph felt his chest warm at his brother's determination. Because while Donnie struggled to keep up physically with his siblings, he never stopped trying and refused help unless it had been made by his own two hands.

Raph didn't offer any more assistance after that, letting his brother climb up on his own, but still watched him closely all the same.

Leo, meanwhile, was getting bored waiting, trying to pass the time by catching snowflakes on his tongue, legs swaying unevenly in the cold, night air. Eventually he got tired of this too and let out a loud groan. “Ugh, you’re taking too long! It's gonna be New Years before we find a tree!”

“Just wait, Leo,” Raph ordered, attention still focused on Donnie. “We're almost there.”

Leo groaned again, crossing his arms in annoyance. He was itching to do something, still hyped from his successful throw and record-breaking climb. He needed something else to try, something to impress his brothers, or at the very least entertain himself.

But hopefully that first thing too.

After all, he hadn't gotten his fill of showboating yet, he wanted to gloat some more. Which meant he needed to step up his game.

A smirk stretched across his face as he was struck with inspiration, leaping to his feet a second later. He stood on top of the large stone wall, smiling superiorly down at his brothers. “Hey, I bet you I can do a backflip off of here.”

“Leo, no,” Raph said in a warning tone, eyes narrowing dangerously. But this only proved to encourage Leo, grinning wider as he started tensing and untensing his legs in preparation for the jump.

“Climb up here and stop me then Grammy Raph,” he taunted, looking quite proud of himself for the insult. Raph growled low, grip tightening until his knuckles turned white. He wanted to take Leo up on that offer, scramble up that rope and physically pull him away from the stupid stunt but with Donnie blocking his way, so he was powerless to do much beyond scolding or glaring. Both of which were ineffective weapons against Leo's impulsive nature.

“You're gonna fall and break your brain, dumdum,” Donnie commented. “If you even have one.”

Leo shrugged this concern off quickly. “Oh, come on, the worst thing that happens is I land in some snow. Big deal.”

“Don't. You. Dare.” Raph hissed in the most intimidating tone he had, reserved only for when his brothers were threatened, either by some outside force or themselves.

Leo actually seemed to think better of his idea, smirk vanishing off his face as he looked shamefully down at his big brother. He sighed. “Yeah, you're right. What was I thinking? I definitely shouldn't do this!” Then without warning, Leo leaped backwards angling his body so he'd do an arc in the air. Raph screamed his brother's name in a panic, starting to climb over Donnie in his haste.

To his credit, Leo managed to do a full 360 flip before tucking into his shell to lessen the impact.

Donnie and Raph nearly jumped out of their shells as a crash sounded from the other side of the wall, accompanied by snapping and cracking noises that sounded just a bit too much like bones breaking for Raph's comfort. Donnie blinked, confused by the loud racket. That was far too loud for just falling into snow. There was a soft moan of “owww” on the other side that was unmistakably Leo. With renewed strength, Donnie scrambled up the wall, Raph right on his heels, the two peering over to check on the state of their brother.

Leo's shell lay in a pile of sticks and branches all haphazardly stacked next to the wall. Many were broken under him and Raph practically gasped in relief that snapping sound hadn't been his little brother's limbs. Leo popped out of his shell, looking winded and face scrunched up in pain but otherwise unharmed.

“Okay, I was wrong. There was something else besides snow down here,” Leo choked out, still struggling to regain the breath that had been pushed from his lungs.

“Which is exactly why we told you not to jump down there Leo!” Raph yelled, unsure if he wanted to check on him or strangle him.

“Did I at least look cool?” Leo asked hopefully.

Okay definitely that second one.

“Dumdum,” Donnie whispered under his breath.

Once Donnie and Raph were safely on the ground and Leo had pulled himself from the pile of sticks (with thankfully nothing worse than some small scratches and a sore rump) the turtles got their first good look around. On the outside, it didn't look any different from any other part of the city but once past the fenceline, it was like stepping into a whole new world, one made of wood, branches, and pine, not the cluttered cityscape they were used to. Trees towered over the three, reaching high enough they couldn't even see the massive buildings stretching behind them. It was a forest, bathed in a layer of soft, white snow and scented in pine needles. They had been to the park before but the trees there were few and far between, now there were more trees than any of them could count, each varying in size and scattered about with no sense of organization or purpose to their placement. Some were already on metal stands, perfectly cut at the bottom. Others were still rooted in the ground. Still others were no more than sprouts. Stumps poked out from beneath a blanket of white, looking like craters on a dusty moon. A small gardener's shed was set up off to the side, old and rustic and practically crumbling into itself. Other than that there were no signs that man had ever set foot here and the turtles suddenly felt even more like intruders than they already were.

Up to this point, none of them had even thought about why Mikey was so invested in a Christmas tree this year, they had just decided to get it without question because it was Mikey and he always got whatever he wanted. But now that they were here, standing in awe of the forest stretching before them, delighted gasps fogging in the chilly, winter air they finally understood what all the hype was about.

“I know why we couldn’t bring him but I kinda wish Mikey was here to see this,” Leo's voice finally said, breaking the spell over them all as Raph and Donnie nodded in agreement.

“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Raph said once his focus had returned, hands clenched into excited fists. He looked around at the trees trying to select the right one. “Now which one of these guys is coming home with us!”

“How bout this one!” Leo said, pointing to a monster of a tree towering high above them.

“It’s taller than the lair, dummy,” Donnie replied with a roll of his eyes. He pulled out his phone, typing quickly before turning the screen so his brothers could see. “Besides, I already figured out which one to grab. I did some measuring and I think our best bet would be a five foot tree. It’ll be easier to move and fit perfectly in-”

“Or we grab that one!” Raph exclaimed, pointing out the tree that had caught his eye.

He grinned and crossed his arms, feeling quite proud of himself for finding it so quickly.

Donnie was less than impressed though, drawn-on eyebrows scrunching together as he looked the tree up and down, trying to measure the height in his mind. Once his calculation was done he gave his brother a skeptical look. “Raph, that one has to be at least seven feet tall!”

“Exactly!” Raph smiled brighter. “Mikey will be super impressed with it.”

“What’s the big deal? There’s enough room in the lair right?” Leo asked.

Donnie sighed but nodded. “Yes but I really think we should just stick with mine. it’ll be harder to carry and I’m not sure how we’ll get it down the-”

“Great! Then let’s take this baby home!” Raph ran over to the tree, grunting as he tried to rip it out by the roots. Leo was quick to encourage him, yelling praises and cheers while Donnie just groaned in defeat and reached into his duffle bag, looking around for something.

“Wait, Raph, before you hurt yourself let me try something,” Donnie said, gaining the snapper’s attention enough he actually stopped what he was doing to see what his little brother had in mind.

“Oooo you got some fancy invention that’s gonna like pick it out of the ground?” Leo asked curiously, leaning over his brother’s shoulder to see.

“Yeah, like a Gravi Gun from Jupiter Jim and the Invasion of the Portal People!” Raph shouted, eyes glittering in excitement.

“Oh man, that thing was so cool!” Leo agreed, fanboying as he thought of his and his brother’s favorite movie franchise outside of Lou Jitsu. “Please tell me you made one of those! I wanna lift stuff without using my hands!” Leo bounced on the balls of his feet, rocking Donnie with each little motion.

“No but it is just as effective as one,” Donnie replied cryptically. His face lit up as he found what he was looking for. “Ah, here it is.”

Leo and Raph both flinched as Donnie pulled out not some futuristic-y gadget straight out of science fiction but instead a very real, very dangerous looking chainsaw, spray painted in Donnie’s signature color.

“Whoa! Where’d you find a chainsaw?!” Raph asked, face going pale as he shuffled away in panic.

“You’d be amazed what people throw away, dear brother,” Donnie replied with a dangerous smile, fingers tapping against the handles in vibrant anticipation.

“Ohhhh, sweet, let me try!” Leo exclaimed, rushing to take the tool from his twin.

Donnie twisted his body so that his brother couldn’t quite reach it, holding it as far away from Leo as he could. “Leo, no! You aren’t trained to use it!” Donnie hissed, trying to elbow his annoying brother in the plastron.

This didn’t deter Leo at all, in fact it only made him fight harder, arms flailing as he tried to maneuver around his purple counterpart, who just barely managed to keep it out of his hands. “Neither are you!”

“Scoff! Am too! I read the manual online!” Donnie managed to angle his foot so that Leo tripped and fell face-first into the snow. The red-eared slider was only down for a second though before he leapt at his brother, trying to snatch it away before his twin could react. Donnie had anticipated this though and managed to stop him with a raised foot to his plastron.

“C’mon just let me try it already, Don! You're hogging it!” His arms flailed wildly, causing Donnie to pull it further from his reach.

He shot him a warning look and pushed a little harder against Leo’s plastron. “No! You’ll probably cut your hand off or something stupid!”

Leo grabbed Donnie’s ankle and yanked it up, causing his brother to lose his balance and tumble back. He let out a little yelp before hitting the snow, Leo snatching the chainsaw out of his loosened grip a second later. The blue turtle giggled in victory only to run head-first into Raph, who scooped his brother up with practiced ease.

“Hey! Raph!” Leo wiggled in his brother’s grip but the snapper wasn’t shaken, holding the slider under one arm and the chainsaw in the other. “No fair! Give it back!”

“Nuh uh, it’s way too dangerous for you to be messing with, Leo,” Raph said in an authoritative tone. He walked over to Donnie, who was busy wiping snow off of himself and his thick clothing, before handing him the chainsaw back. Donnie’s face lit up and mouth twisted into a superior smirk.

“What?! No fair! Why does Donnie get to use it!” Leo whined angrily.

Raph ignored him, instead giving his genius brother a nervous smile. “Here you go, Dee. Just… be careful okay.”

“As if that were ever in question,” Donnie said dramatically, still eying Leo smugly. Leo, powerless to do anything else, just crossed his arms and pouted.

With a few pulls of the cord, the chainsaw revved to life and Donnie’s face twisted into something wild, curious, and terrifying. The power beneath his fingertips was enlightening and he felt giddy with the possibilities. With slow, almost sinister steps he crept up to the tree, the vibration running through the chainsaw pulsing all the way down to his feet. Taking only a second to calculate the correct spot, he placed the sawblade against the trunk, resisting the urge to violently start cutting in.

“Raphael, goggles!” Donnie commanded and Raph rushed to pull a pair from the discarded duffle bag, Leo still unhappily tucked under his arm. The eldest ran up to the softshell and slipped the goggles over his brother’s eyes.

“Thank you, dear brother,” Donnie said, words polite even though his voice sounded mad with power.

“Uh sure,” Raph muttered, backing away so he could give Don his space. His eyes jumped from the chainsaw to his brother then back, starting to regret his decision already. “Y-You sure you know what you’re doing, Dee?”

“Oh yes,” Donnie replied in a steady whisper, tone dripping with bloodlust. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

He gave a small chuckle which slowly rose in volume as he finally pulled the trigger, the spinning sawblade slicing through the tree like it was butter. “Evil laugh!” Donnie howled, before breaking into a cackle again.

Raph and Leo could only watch the whole display with growing concern, this new side of their brother terrifying them down to their core. “I think we just created a monster tonight,” Leo whispered.

Raph just nodded dumbly as the tree toppled to the ground. The chainsaw was off a second later, Donnie planting a foot atop the new stump and draping the tool over his back in a triumphant pose. “Well, how was that?” he asked, looking back at his two awestruck (and slightly unnerved) brothers.

“That was, uh,” Raph began before losing his voice halfway through. He didn’t know how to begin to describe what he just witnessed.

“The most terrifying and cool thing I’ve ever seen,” Leo admitted, eyes sparkling in admiration.

Donnie rubbed a hand against his plastron before blowing on his nails arrogantly. “Why thank you, I try.”

Raph finally lets Leo go, who rushes over to examine the fallen tree with his own eyes. “Whoa, you took it down in like two seconds!” he gasped, staring up at his twin in disbelief.

“Seventeen actually but who’s counting,” Donnie replied, smiling proudly.

Raph bent down to check the tree too, running a hand over the bottom. It was completely smooth all the way across and he couldn’t help but be impressed by it. “Nice work, Donnie. Though I’m not sure you should keep using that thing. Seems a little… dangerous.”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “Scoff. Well yes, Raph, it’s a chainsaw, it is made to be dangerous.”

“No I meant… you seem a little dangerous.”

“Nonsense.” Donnie dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. “I was just having a little fun, but not like worrying fun.”

“And the evil laugh?” Leo asked skeptically.

Donnie’s face twisted into the same sinister smile. “Dramatic effect.”

Despite how concerning that look and response was they were still on a time crunch and so Raph decided to drop it for now, focusing back on the task at hand. “Alright, knuckleheads, let’s hurry up and get this back to the lair and decorated,” he proclaimed.

Donnie fetched some rope and tied both ends to the trunk before handing the middle over to Raph. The snapper looped the rope around himself and dug his feet in the snow, pulling against the tree with all his might. He could feel the strain in his muscles, the dull ache in his limbs from before but he just continued to tug mercilessly against the rope, willing it to move despite his body's protests.

With a sudden lurch the pine followed, Raph so surprised he nearly tripped over his own feet, turning back to his brothers to grin widely. Donnie and Leo gave a thumbs up and quickly took up the rear to help push. It made little difference but Raph still appreciated the help. It was hard work and slow going but none of them minded all that much, even Leo not bothering to complain about his own impending exhaustion. Their thoughts were elsewhere, already imagining Mikey's smiling face when he came downstairs on Christmas morning and saw the fruits of their labor. They could already hear his little squeals of delight and feel his warm hugs as he celebrated the ‘Christmas miracle’ with them.

That thought alone was worth any amount of work, no matter how tiring.

But they were all abruptly snapped back to reality as Leo noticed something they had all neglected to consider, staring at the sealed gate and towering wall in horror as he asked dumbly, “Um, guys? How are we gonna get the tree out?”

…

It took less than a minute for their calm discussion of escape to turn to a full-blown argument, Raph and Donnie both insistent that their plans were better and the others nonsensical. Raph wanted to try his original plan of busting the door down which Donnie reminded him would only expose their crime and lead to more trouble down the line. Donnie tried to explain the practical applications of a pulley system only to be shut down by the eldest that it would end up taking too long. Leo tried to pitch in that the whole argument was taking too long, only to be shot down by both before they went back to fighting again.

Leo sighed deeply. He could tell this would last a while, so seeing no other alternative he decided to just wait it out. He plopped onto the fallen pine, an elbow propped against his knee and head resting in his hand, drumming his fingers against his cheek. He watched for a while in growing boredom, finding the whole thing pointless and stupid. It was a waste of time in his opinion, neither of their ideas were good and they were both right in pointing it out. Raph's idea was too reckless and Donnie’s too time-consuming. If they wanted to get back to the lair before Mikey woke up they needed a new plan, not continuing to argue the same moot point.

But it seemed stubbornness was a family trait and neither was going to admit defeat without some kind of outside interference. “Guess its up to me,” Leo muttered, hopping off the tree.

He stepped over to the gate, examining it up and down for any weaknesses or ideas. It was made of sturdy wood, though the red paint was peeling and fading with age. Off to the side was a rusted metal handle, a small keyhole just beneath. And that gave Leo an idea.

He remembered seeing someone lockpick in a Lou Jitsu movie and it had looked simple enough that Leo was sure he could pull it off. The only problem was that they had used some kind of hairpin to do it and that wasn’t really a viable option for a mutant turtle without hair.

Guess he'd have to improvise.

Leo ran over to his brothers, tapping his purple counterpart on the shoulder to gain his attention. “Hey Dee! You got something in that big bag I can pick a lock with?”

Donnie snapped his attention onto his blue brother, seemingly confused by the interruption. “What? No, go away, Leo. I'm talking.” He shooed his brother away with a wave of his hand, before focusing his attention back on Raph. The two had ceased their argument and were now discussing the effectiveness of attaching a rocket engine to the tree. Because of course Donnie had one of those in his bag but not a hairpin.

Or maybe he just wasn't listening.

Both were likely options.

Leo huffed dramatically and crossed his arms, pouting bitterly. When this also went unnoticed he stomped his foot and loudly declared, “Fine! I'll just go find it somewhere else then,” before turning his back on his brothers.

The somewhere else ended up being the only other place Leo had to search: the gardener's shed, which was thankfully unlocked. Leo poked his head inside, squinting into the dimly lit room looking for something useful for lockpicking. He saw many tools stacked inside but most were too big for his purposes, stepping inside to get a closer look. He scanned the nearly empty shelves for something usable before his eyes landed on a small brass key.

Leo's mouth dropped open and he quickly snatched it off its hook. “It couldn't really be that easy. Could it?” he wondered aloud, slowly turning the key over in his hands.

Leo was out of the shed in an instant, racing past Donnie and Raph (who didn't even look over to acknowledge him) and right up to the gate. He stuck the key in, letting out a sharp breath as it slipped easily inside. So far, so good.

He turned the key until he heard a noticeable click, smiling widely and pumping his fists in the air in silent victory. Oh boy were his brothers about to be jealous.

Donnie and Raph at this point had exhausted every option that came to mind, frowning in mutual defeat as they stared at the ground instead of each other. “Hey guys!” They both turned to see their brother leaning against the gate with a knowing smirk. Before either could question the look, Leo stood straight and declared, “Check this out,” before pulling on the handle. The door opened with a loud creak and the turtles’ jaws went slack.

Raph was speechless, eyes bouncing between Leo and the opened gate and back. Donnie, on the other hand, had many things he wanted to say, none of which could quite leave his lips, thoughts spinning around his mind in a jumbled mess. So he settled for the most important one at the moment, “How?!”

Leo shrugged, the smug grin never leaving his lips. “Told you I knew how to lockpick,” he replied, making sure the key was stuffed deep in his pocket where his brothers couldn't see.

…

They were all in high spirits as they made their way back to the sewer entrance, the tree much easier to pull now that they were on the slippery sidewalks, the icy ground doing most of the work for Raph, which his sore body was thankful for. They sang Christmas carols the whole way there, sometimes together, sometimes singing over each other in a competitive game, but always with a bright smile on their faces.

Finally, they were back where they had started, the manhole cover still pushed to the side, though now covered in a thin layer of snow. After a bit of maneuvering the boys managed to get the tree positioned next to the underground entrance, Raph holding the pine upright and sliding it over until it dropped into the hole…

… and stopped.

Raph’s smile vanished in an instant as he stared down at the manhole in confusion, spotting the culprit instantly. The trunk fit in easily but the pine branches had caught on the sides, thicker around than the entrance itself. “Wait, what?!” he exclaimed, grabbing onto the tree and trying to push it down. The thick tangle of branches refused to be manhandled, popping back up the second he let go. “No, no, no!” he whined, forcing more and more of his weight on it but only managing to stuff a few limbs through. “This can’t be happening!”

He continued trying to force it down before switching to light little shoves against the pine branches, trying to bend them into a shape that would allow it to slide past. It stayed stubbornly in place.

He tried flipping it over in the hopes that the top of the tree went down smoother. It didn’t.

He tried jumping onto the tree and wrapping his legs around it, ignoring the way the pine needles itched against his skin, hoping his weight might be enough to make it fall. It instead tipped to the side, causing Raph to slip off and hit the concrete hard.

With each new failure, the snapper's frustration grew. Until finally out of options, Raph sat back and stared up at the tree hopelessly. It was still wedged tightly in the manhole, hanging limply to the side, seeming to mock him with its very existence. Raph stared down at his feet sadly, tail wrapping tightly around himself to provide a little comfort. He was so distraught he didn’t even notice Leo sitting down beside him until his hand was on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Raph. I’m sure Donnie will figure something out,” he assured him softly.

Donnie plopped down on Raph’s other side, arms crossed and expression flat. “Yes well, I wouldn’t need to if you had just listened in the first place. I tried to tell you something like this might happen but you were so insistent on this tree I couldn’t argue.”

“Not helping, Don!” Leo hissed.

“Luckily…” The softshell continued pointedly, shooting his twin a look. “I do have a solution. I just need to trim it down some on the sides. It won’t be as big but it will fit.”

“Wait, really?!” Raph gasped, giving his genius brother a hopeful look. “You can do that!”

Donnie nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Of course I can. I’m a genius, afterall.”

Leo’s eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Does this mean you're gonna use the chainsaw again?!”

“Indeed,” Donnie replied with a short nod.

Leo whooped before jumping to his feet. He was at Donnie’s side in an instant, digging inside the bag for the deadly tool. “Let me use it this time!”

“Absolutely not!” Donnie snapped, ripping the bag away from him. “Not until you’ve watched every safety video about chainsaws known to man, Leo.”

Leo huffed but relented, turning his back on his brother just to be rude about it.

That was when Leo noticed lights in the distance. Two bright lights, yellow and low to the ground.

And coming right towards them.

Leo’s heart dropped as he shouted, “Car!” his brother’s swerving on their heels to see. The second his eyes landed on the fast approaching vehicle Raph scooped his brothers up into his arms and dove for cover. He managed to get behind a trashbin just before a semi-truck drove by, going far too fast for the frosty streets. It plowed into the pine tree, snapping the trunk in half and sending the rest tumbling over the top. Each collision caused wood to snap and pine needles to explode in all directions, tearing the poor tree apart with each violent roll.

Finally, mercifully, the tree tumbled off the back of the semi, landing broken and heavy on the icy streets. The truck didn't even slow down, undeterred by the destruction it had just caused, and was soon gone around the next corner.

Raph, Donnie, and Leo all peeked out from their hiding spot, eyes wide with horror as they saw the state of their beloved Christmas tree. It was in shambles, loose branches hanging from severed limbs, its once smooth base now torn into jagged edges and sharp points. It looked dead, murdered. The messy street looking like the site of some vegetated massacre, bits of wood and bark scattered about and everything coated in a layer of pine needles, more of which seemed to be on the ground than the tree itself.

The boys were left speechless by the sight, faces twisted into expressions of disappointment, confusion, and defeat. Finally it was Leo who broke the depressive silence, giving his brothers a lopsided smile.

“Well, on the bright side, it'll totally fit down the hole now.”

Raph said nothing, instead banging his forehead as hard as he could into the metal bin.

…

“Y'know it looked bad before but now that we've got it in some light…” Leo paused, smile wilting as he stared at the broken, mangled mess of a tree now sitting in their living room. Donnie had already attached a metal stand to the bottom but it didn't make it look anymore presentable. It was still as sad and pathetic as it had looked on the surface, maybe even more so since now they could fully see the damage.

“It looks worse,” Donnie finished for Leo, voice a cold monotone.

The tree looked empty and barren with only clumps of pine needles dotted about its branches. Most limbs were in tatters from the nasty tumble it had taken. Large cracks ran up its center, looking like veins. If Mikey was to see the tree at that exact moment he probably would have burst into tears of empathy for the shabby shrub they had brought home. The exact opposite response they were all going for.

“It doesn't really look like the trees in those movies,” Raph admitted, cringing at the mental image.

“Understatement,” Donnie commented sarcastically.

“Maybe we can grab another one?” Leo weakly suggested.

“Well it's already after four,” Donnie pointed out, silently running the calculations in his head. Past data proved Mikey was an early riser, especially on Christmas, so statistically there was a good 98.5% chance of him waking up around 6. That left them with very little wiggle room and knowing their luck they would only end up with more complications and delays that would absolutely get them back too late. So he felt confident in saying, “By the time we’d get back Mikey would already be awake and probably completely given up on his belief in Santa.”

Leo and Raph hung their heads low, hopelessness draping over them like a dark cloud. It felt like a punch to the gut after all the hard work they'd put in to making their little brother happy. All the pain and exhaustion and fighting and stress, all amounted to nothing in the end. The only thing they had to show for their efforts was a sad, broken tree that looked as miserable as they all felt. The three all sighed as one, each lost in their own gloomy thoughts.

After about a minute of wallowing though, Raph decided he needed to say something encouraging. His brothers were sad and Mikey was still without a Christmas tree and as the big brother it was his job to fix these things. So no matter how much he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, he forced the bad feelings down, shoving all the sadness, guilt, and worry way deep inside him and made himself smile at his bros. It was small and pathetic but he did his best to back it up with confidence, using the best big brother voice he had. “Well what’s done is done. We’ll just have to use what we got. And hey, maybe with enough decorations Mikey won’t even notice the tree’s all banged up!”

Donnie highly doubted that but chose to let that thought go unspoken for the moment. Instead, he said, “I’ll go get the decorations,” and started for the door.

“I’ll help and I’ll carry way more than Donnie will!” Leo boldly declared, sounding lighter now that there was a plan in place, and jogged after his twin.

Raph listened to them bicker until they were out of earshot, then let out a massive sigh, thankful his words had actually managed to cheer them up a little. He hadn’t really expected it to work but he was glad it did. Feeling a swell of pride and accomplishment, he turned his attention away from the tree and got to work on his own task.

Although the Hamato family never owned a Christmas tree it was always a family tradition for them to each make their own ornaments out of clay, which they would lovingly hang on the walls to greet Santa each year. Only this year, Raph was gonna see to it that they had a proper place to hang. Especially Mikey's.

He carefully took each one off the wall, setting them delicately next to the tree, taking only a moment to admire the designs.

Leo had tried to model his off of Lou Jitsu but it barely resembled their idol, looking more like a lumpy egg with stick arms and legs attached. The head was a small lump, the top part painted black for his hair, with a yellow triangle in the center for his signature sunglasses. Donnie had tried to make Atomic Lass in an effort to match his twin but had quickly gotten frustrated when the clay didn't work the way he wanted it to, so had instead switched to a simple candy cane with purple stripes. He had spent hours making sure the lines were all even and symmetrical, using a ruler and protractor to carefully shape each section until it pleased even his critical eye. Raph had made a teddy bear with a red bow, though it more closely resembled Leo's in quality, mostly due to his massive hands struggling to shape small clay.

Mikey's was easily the best one out of the bunch. It was ironically enough a Christmas tree as it seemed the box turtle had been on a bit of an obsessive streak. Although the lines weren't quite as smooth as Donnie's, there was still a delicate precision to Mikey’s sculpting that could only come from an inspiring artist. The painting process was where he truly shined though, a glossy green coating littered with small dots of every color for the lights. The trunk was brown with some light texturing to make it look like real wood. Mikey had even added a small present at the bottom and a golden star at the top. It was still clearly made by a kid but there was talent there thanks to all the time Mikey spent drawing and coloring and painting the walls. It was clear his baby brother had a passion for all things artistic and Raph couldn't be prouder.

He had even started baking, at least what he could since he was still too young to use the oven or stovetop without Splinter present. Though even that did little to stop him, as more often than not his puppy eyes were more than capable of getting their dad out of his chair and in the kitchen to help. Raph wished he had that kind of power over their pops but he was glad that at least Mikey got the extra attention.

Mikey and Splinter had been hard at work baking the whole day, making all kinds of gingerbread treats which the whole family had been snacking on endlessly. Mikey had been careful to save some back for Santa, three cookies stacked on a plate off to the side with a tall glass of milk and a little homemade sign reading “For Santa: Leo do not touch”. Raph smiled at Mikey's crooked handwriting before snatching a gingerbread man and biting off its head.

It felt a bit weird to be taking their dad's place as Santa, even if it made sense with the plans to get the tree. It had always been Splinter's job and it felt strange taking that away from him, even if he had seemed more than happy to pass the task onto his eldest children, telling them how excited he was to retire early on Christmas Eve rather than having to wait up for four excited kids to finally fall asleep. But Raph was pretty sure that wasn't entirely true as he noticed their four stockings which had been empty before they left were now notably bulging. So it seemed their dad wasn't quite done playing the role of Santa just yet.

Though it did make Raph wonder how many more years of being Santa he had in store.

Mikey was now the only Hamato who didn't know Santa wasn't real and they were all eager to keep it that way. Raph had found out the truth pretty early on thanks to being the oldest and Donnie had never bought into such beliefs even if he thankfully never said so out loud. Leo, however, had only found out earlier that year, when he discovered their dad's secret present stash and was shocked to find ‘From Santa’ on some of the gifts. Leo had been pretty devastated at first but sworn to keep it a secret from Mikey.

No one wanted to be the one responsible for ruining baby Mikey's innocence, even the loud-mouthed Leo.

Leo had since changed his tune, especially when he found out he could stay up Christmas Eve so long as he promised to help. The slider hadn't brought it up since, so it was safe to say he was over it. He'd even jokingly suggested they dress up for their little excursion: Raph as Santa, himself as an elf, and Donnie as the reindeer, which his twin had vehemently protested.

Raph had just finished his cookie when the others got back, Donnie using a remote-controlled hovercrate of his own invention to carry the heavy boxes. Leo followed behind with nothing but a shoebox, looking none too happy to be upstaged by his brother. “Uh oh, what happened?” Raph asked, Leo looking away with a pout.

Donnie rolled his eyes before stating flatly, “Nardo almost dropped everything trying to carry more than me.”

“At least I didn't cheat, Smellatello!”

“Well I needed some way to carry everything since my helper couldn't be trusted, Nerdo!”

“Okay, enough guys!” Raph scolded, making sure his tone was louder than their arguing. “You're gonna wake up Mikey.”

Both boys begrudgingly obeyed and went quiet, though Leo couldn't resist sticking his tongue out at Donnie, who retaliated by twisting a knob on his remote so that the cart suddenly flew towards Leo. It stopped just shy of bowling him over, the slider screeching and lifting the shoebox high over his head, balancing on one leg as he tried to lean away from the dangerous hovercraft.

“Hey, watch it! This stuffs breakable, remember?” Leo snapped, cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.

“Hand slipped,” Donnie responded simply. He slowly started twisting the knob again and Leo quickly moved to hide behind Raph.

“Knock it off, Donnie,” Raph began in a warning tone, grabbing the shoebox from Leo before anything else chaotic could happen. He peeked inside to make sure nothing was broken, the box half-filled with homemade ornaments from previous years. A toothy grin spread across his face as memories of past Christmases flashed through his head.

Leo, in the meantime, finally noticed the plate of gingerbread men, gasping in delight. “Mikey’s cookies! Raph why didn't you say something?” Ignoring the sign, Leo picked up a gingerbread man and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, chewing loudly. “Mmmmm, I love being Santa.” He washed the whole thing down with the glass of milk, swallowing it all in a few quick gulps.

Raph snatched up the final cookie before his brother could devour that too, taking it and the box of ornaments over to Donnie. He handed him the gingerbread man and the softshell nibbled on it absently, focus on the mangled tree beside them. Raph could tell by the way his false eyebrows were pinching together he was worried.

“Do you really think this is going to work?” Donnie asked, eyes not leaving the tree.

“Not sure,” Raph admitted with a shrug. “But if we don't do anything then we've already let Mikey down, so we gotta at least try.”

Donnie finally met his eye, still nibbling away at his cookie. Raph noticed he actually ate the gingerbread man from the bottom and worked his way up and held back a little smile at that information. “I suppose you have a point there,” the softshell muttered between bites.

Now Raph actually smiled, bright and cheerful. “Besides Mikey won't even be able to see the tree through all these decorations you bought.” He gestured over to the four stacked boxes no doubt filled to the brim with Christmas stuff.

Donnie grinned, clearly pleased with the praise and Raph felt his chest warm. “Of course, I'm nothing if not prepared.” Donnie puffed his chest out proudly. His face turned sour, however, as he added, “Although Leo called it overkill.”

“It is!” Leo defended from the other side of the room, trying to subtly dig inside his stocking to see what he got. “It looks like you bought out an entire store's worth of stuff!”

“Scoff. Four boxes is hardly equal to a store's worth, Nardo. I just didn't know what we wanted so I got one of everything.”

“Well I say we use all of it!” Raph enthusiastically exclaimed, throwing open the shoebox and pulling out clay figures to hang on the branches. Before he could though, Donnie jumped between him and the tree, arms spread wide to try and better block his brother's path. Raph froze, giving his brother a wide, confused look.

“Whoa, Raph, what are you doing?! You can't just hang up whatever! What are we, savages?!”

Donnie sounded as if it should be obvious, but Raph really had no clue what he was doing wrong. Wasn't the whole point? To put stuff on the tree. Wasn't that why he bought all of this? Why would Donnie suddenly not want that? Maybe it was because Raph was using the homemade ones? But he had seemed enthusiastic about using the clay ornaments when they talked about it.

On top of that, Raph had absolutely no clue what ‘savages’ meant but Donnie looked like he should know, so maybe that was on him. For a lack of anything better to say, he stumbled out a very hesitant, “Uhhhh, we're… turtles.”

Donnie slapped a hand to his forehead, making Raph flinch. “Groan. Metaphors are lost on you dumdums,” he murmured unhappily. Then in a much calmer tone, he explained, “You need to wait on that stuff. There's a system to this. Lights first, then garland, then ornaments.”

Leo let out an annoyed groan of his own. Of course Donnie would ruin their fun with rules.

But Raph was just relieved he knew what Donnie was upset about now, seeing no issues with following his lead. He knew way more about this, anyways, so who was he to question his little brother's method. He slipped the ornaments he was holding back in the box, saying, “Sure, Dee. You're the expert.”

This only further inflated Donnie’s ego, turning to his twin with a smug grin. Leo just let out an irritated huff, pointedly ignoring his twin as he started rummaging through one of the boxes for something interesting. Donnie was lucky this time. Leo would have been more vocal about his grievances if Mikey wasn't asleep just a few rooms over.

“I'm so glad to hear you say that, dear brother.” Donnie started shuffling backwards towards the pile of boxes, keeping his gaze and grin on Raph. “Because I have something that's gonna really dazzle our little brother.”

Uh oh. Raph knew that tone. That smile. That look. It meant Donnie was trying to get away with something, playing innocent in hopes Raph wouldn't notice.

Raph braced himself as Donnie reached into a box.

He was expecting mechanical snowmen that shot lasers from their eyes or bombs carefully concealed as ornaments or any number of dangerous things his genius brother was no doubt capable of making.

So it caught him more than a little off-guard when Donnie pulled out a seemingly normal string of Christmas lights, grinning that pleased grin reserved for when he made something cool and impressive. “Behold, the future of Christmas!”

Raph cocked his head to the side, trying to see what was so special about them or why Donnie was being so sketchy about the whole thing. “Does… it shoot lasers or something?”

“No,” Donnie said with a frown. “That would be highly inefficient.” But the smile returned as he dove into one of his patented infodumps, carefully laying them out on a table to be better admired by his brothers. “What it is, Raphael, is a highly advanced lighting system that I invented. It's capable of glowing three times brighter than your average Christmas lights while using five times less energy. I also upgraded the bulb with a heat-resistant fiberglass, effectively eliminating the risk of it catching fire, making it a far safer substitute to traditional lights. It's cost efficient, energy efficient, and pleasing to the eye, a perfect combination if I do say so myself.”

Okay, Raph only understood like half of that but it did sound impressive and maybe a little too good to be true. There had to be a catch. Otherwise why was Donnie trying so hard to get him to agree. It was more than a little suspicious.

After some thinking, Raph realized what Donnie had failed to mention, something that made all the difference when it came to his inventions. “Did ya test it yet?”

Donnie’s eyes widened before forcefully returning to neutral, a few beads of sweat appearing on his face. His smile was just a bit too wide and posture just a bit too stiff, hands tapping against his legs in that distinctive Donnie way that only happened when he was nervous or overwhelmed. “It's functional,” he managed, eyes not quite meeting Raph's.

Yep, there was no doubt about it now. Donnie was lying. Or more accurately, hiding the truth, since he hadn't really lied yet. But now his suspicious behavior made sense at least. “You didn't answer my question, Dee,” Raph pointed out.

“Didn't I?” came the softshell’s timid response. It was almost ironic how someone who could be so good at concealing his emotions could be so awful at lying.

Leo gasped, hitting him with an accusing look. “You totally didn't. Test them, I mean,” Leo said, seeing through Donnie’s thinly veiled lies as well. That wasn't surprising since Leo was the resident expert on both Donnie and lying.

The purple turtle let out a whine of guilt before reluctantly admitting, “Okay fine. I may not have had all that much time for testing.” His voice rose several octaves as he added, “But that's only because I was too busy planning for our heist!”

“It wasn't a heist, it was borrowing!”

Leo patted the eldest on the shoulder, saying gently, “Raph, you know we love you but you can't return something after it's been hit by a truck.”

“But it does work,” Donnie cut in, emphasizing each word so he knew they heard him.

Raph hadn't doubted that, everything Donnie made worked, but it wasn't really the problem. Because even though Donnie was an undeniable genius, that didn't mean everything he made functioned properly.

And normally Raph wouldn't mind that. In fact, under any other circumstances he would be more than willing to try out Donnie’s new tech, even if it sometimes turned the microwave evil or made the toaster explode.

But Mikey’s Christmas was on the line! And that the one time Raph knew they couldn't take the risk.

“Sorry, Don,” Raph said in the kindest, softest tone he had, careful not to say anything that might upset his sensitive little bro. “I’m sure what you made is really awesome and cool but this tree’s barely holding together as is. Let's not try anything crazy, okay?”

Donnie had known that answer was coming but it still didn't make him feel any better about it. Disappointment weighed heavy on his heart and he could feel his ego deflating as he pouted sourly. And even though he knew it was pointless, a part of him still wanted to argue and pitch a fit about it. He would have too if Raph wasn't looking at him with that annoying tender look that made it impossible to stay mad at him even if he really, really wanted to be.

So, Donnie begrudgingly relented. “Fine.” And because he was still very much bitter he added, “But when Mikey isn't properly dazzled you'll only have yourselves to blame.”

Then, he set to work pulling out the lights they wanted from their boxes, making sure to ignore Leo's smug look as he did.

Raph and Leo joined him, helping sort everything into neat little piles. The mood changed for the better after that and they were all soon enjoying themselves again. Leo and Raph had fun looking at all the decorations Donnie had bought, showing off each one to the other and talking excitedly about it. Donnie just continued untangling lights, trying to pretend to still be annoyed even if his fond smile betrayed him.

They were all having so much fun in fact, they didn't hear the padding of small feet approaching.

“Raphie.”

The three turtles froze, recognizing the voice behind them in an instant as their baby brother. A quick glance over their shoulders and sure enough there stood Mikey in the doorway, favorite kitty plush pressed to his plastron.

Raph, Donnie and Leo were on their feet and across the room in a heartbeat, creating a semi-circle around Mikey to try and block his view. “Hey, little man~” Raph began in his baby voice, reserved for Mikey alone. “What are you doing out of bed?”

Mikey took a second to process that, eyes glassy and half lidded. He rubbed at them tiredly before glancing between his brothers’ smiling faces in hesitant confusion. It was clear he had just woken up. “Klunk and I were thirsty,” he muttered drowsily. He squeezed his plushie a little tighter. “And you weren't in your room.”

Mikey was still too little to reach the cup cabinet, so always went to Raph whenever he needed one. The snapper gave him an apologetic smile, saying gently, “Sorry, Mike. I was, uhh-”

“Making sure no rats got into the cookies!” Leo, the naturally born liar, said it as if it was as easy as breathing. “Well, non-dad rats, I mean.”

Mikey blinked lazily, a tiny smile tugging at his lips from the joke. “Did Santa come yet?” he mumbled, trying to look past his brothers but Leo moved to block his path, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Nope! Not yet!” he said quickly, spinning him around and giving him a small push. “So you better hurry and get to bed so he can!”

“Don’t you need to sleep too?” Mikey’s words came out slurred, eyes starting to drift closed again as he swayed unevenly on his feet.

“We will,” Raph assured him, taking his little brother’s hand in his own. “But first let’s get you that water.”

Mikey let out a noise of agreement, allowing Raph to guide him to the kitchen. Leo and Donnie shouted goodbyes to the box turtle but he wasn’t listening, burying his face in his soft cat plush and yawning tiredly. His eyes closed, trusting his big brother to get him there without any trouble.

Raph glanced back at the twins, mouthing the words, ‘Start without me.’ They both gave him thumbs up and he grinned before returning his focus to Mikey, whispering gentle words as they walked.

Donnie waited until they were both out of earshot before turning to Leo, not bothering to hide the mischievous glint in his eye or evil grin on his face. “Wanna use my lights?”

Leo’s eyes widened in surprise, before reflecting Donnie’s own look back at him. “Raph'll be mad,” Leo said, voice a hum.

“Yes but he also isn't here to stop us.”

As expected, that was all the convincing it took. “I'm in!”

By the time Raph had Mikey tucked back into bed, the lights were done. Donnie was plugging them in when the snapper entered the room, mouth instantly going slack. “Donnie!” The softshell flinched, dropping the cord he had been fiddling with. He turned to his brother with a startled look. “I thought we agreed to use the regular lights instead!”

“Yes but I figured once you saw them you would change your mind,” Donnie replied plainly, showing not even a hint of remorse.

“So you went behind my back!”

The slider slapped a hand over his older brother’s mouth, saying with a finger to his lips, “Uh, Raph, maybe try and keep the voice down. Mikester’s still asleep in the other room, remember?”

Leo pulled his hand away before Raph could get mad and the snapper let out a huff. “You went behind my back,” he repeated in a whispered but still very annoyed tone.

“Leo assisted me.”

Raph directed his scolding glare at Leo, who let out an offended gasp and placed a hand to his chest dramatically. He didn’t bother watching his volume either as he cried, “You would betray your own twin so heartlessly!”

Donnie shrugged. “I never claimed to be above such things, Nardo.”

“Oh you are so on the naughty list,” the blue turtle hissed, fuming.

“Actually you're both on Raph’s naughty list,” the eldest declared, grabbing the back of Leo’s shirt and lifting him off the ground. “Now take those off and put on the other stuff.”

“That would be a huge waste of time, Raphael,” Donnie pointed out nervously. As quick as he could he finished plugging everything in, the lights flickering on and filling the room with a brilliant purple glow. “Besides they are already on and not malfunctioning so I vote we leave it as is.”

“Uhhh,” Leo raised a hesitant finger in the air. “I vote for whatever won’t get me in trouble.”

Raph shot him a look but set him back on his feet.

The snapper sighed before saying in the calmest voice he could manage, “I'm glad it didn't mal- whatever but that's not the point. You didn't listen to me.”

“Only because you were trying to stifle my creative genius,” Donnie argued, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Um guys?”

“I just didn't want it to explode or something,” Raph retorted.

“Should it be smoking like that, Donnie?”

“Scoff. It wasn't going to explode! The worst it could do is catch-”

“Fire!”

“Yes, thank you, Leo,” Donnie snarked, frustrated at his twin for finishing his sentence for him.

“No, I mean it's actually on fire!” Leo screamed pointing at the tree in terror.

Donnie and Raph swiveled in place, spotting a flickering flame on one of the branches which quickly spread to the one above it and then the one next to that, until the whole tree was ablaze in a matter of seconds. Raph screamed, Donnie ran, and Leo grabbed the oldest's arm, shaking him violently. “Do something!”

But Raph was too overcome with panic to think straight, yelling and running around, looking for something to put out the blaze. “Water! Water! Where's water?! Need water!!”

“The kitchen!” Leo screamed in reply, snatching Splinter's favorite blanket off his chair.

A second later the lights shut off, Donnie no doubt cutting the power in the room, explaining his absence.

Raph flinched as everything went dark but another prompt from Leo got his legs in motion, leaving Leo behind to desperately try and fan the ever-growing flames.

Once in the kitchen he dashed straight to the sink, yanking it on and cupping his shaking hands under the steady stream. He started to run back only for the water to sloosh onto the floor instead. He went back and collected more, only for it to spill before he even made it out the door. His thoughts were too scrambled to consider the plethora of empty cups, bowls, and pans he could fill instead, so went with the only option that came to mind…

Raph stuck his head under the running sink, filled his mouth close to bursting and dashed back to the blazing tree as fast as his legs could carry him.

Leo was clearly losing his battle to the flames, huffing and puffing with each labored breath, arms aching as he flapped the thick blanket up and down. “What took you so long?!” he screamed upon spotting Raph. The snapper didn't reply, instead sucking in a deep breath and spewed the water from his mouth, spraying the tree in the process.

“Ew, gross!” Leo wailed in disgust, shuffling backwards. “You couldn't have grabbed a cup or something?”

“Stand back!” Donnie shouted in warning, fumbling with the fire extinguisher he was carrying. The blue and red turtles backed away as their purple counterpart pulled the safety pin free from the handle. He took aim before unleashing a torrent of white foam to the blaze, snuffing it out quickly and effectively.

He used the entire can, making sure every inch of the tree was coated in the flame-retardant substance, only stopping once he was sure the flames were out and the extinguisher was empty. Then he pulled the can to his chest like a lifeline, sighing in relief.

For a moment the three boys just stood there trying to catch their breath, accessing the damage as best they could. It was hard to tell just how badly the tree had been burnt through the thick foam that covered it but it was clear the trunk was about half its size now, bark devoured completely by flames. The branches were now withered husks, curling up on themselves thanks to the pressure of the heat, while many others had crumbled into ash. The ends were gnarled and twisted into sharp points. Strips of metal wires and frayed electric cords all that was left of Donnie’s creation.

The air was thick with smoke and the blanket Leo was holding was singed at the ends where it had been licked by flames, but other than that nothing else had been harmed.

No one spoke or even breathed a sound, the three brothers powerless to describe the feelings of frustration, hopelessness, guilt, and lingering terror that tore at their frazzled heartstrings. Finally it was Donnie who broke the silence, finger tapping a nervous rhythm against the extinguisher as he cleared his throat. “I think I might have had the voltage too high.”

“Ya think!” Leo and Raph shouted as one.

…

The boys salvaged what they could of their present, thankful Mikey had somehow managed to sleep through the whole fiasco. Donnie did his best to clean the foam off but he wasn't able to do much without compromising the tree’s structural integrity. Leo tossed Splinter's blanket, prepared to gaslight him into thinking he lost it should the need arrive. Raph swept up the ashes and lit a bunch of sweet-scented candles to hopefully drown out the smoky scent in the air. Then they all hung up the decorations, garland, and functioning Christmas lights (much to Donnie's ire), placed all their presents under the tree and went to bed.

None of them managed to fall asleep though, even as exhaustion pressed heavy on their tired bodies, trying desperately to relieve their aches and pains by pulling them into unconsciousness. Their minds were a buzzing hive of worry, fear, and dreaded anticipation. No one knew how Mikey would react to seeing the Christmas tree but it could hardly be a positive one.

After all, Mikey was imagining a perfect, movie-accurate tree, not the burnt, mangled monstrosity waiting in their living room.

They could practically see Mikey's tears as he sobbed in disappointment. Would he reject Christmas after this? Would he hate Santa? Would they be forced to tell him the truth and then he'd hate them? Had they collectively ruined Mikey's innocence and Christmas spirit in one night?

It was admittedly a worst case (and more than likely impossible) scenario but it was difficult not to go to extremes when their thoughts were so clouded with negativity and they lacked the strength to fight it off.

They each blamed themselves for the situation they were currently in: Raph wished he'd listened to Donnie and taken the tree he'd picked out, Donnie wished he'd taken the time to check the wiring and voltage so it had never caught flame, and Leo… well, honestly Leo couldn't think of anything directly he'd been the cause of. Still he wished he'd been a little less obnoxiously antagonistic all night.

But there was nothing that could be done now, the turtles could only wait for the youngest to wake. After about half an hour, Raph heard shuffling and giggling outside his door and pretended to look fast asleep, shoving the guilt and fear deep down inside him as he did.

He heard little feet scramble across his room before a weight plopped onto his bed, tiny hands tapping his cheek. “Raph. Raph, wake up. It's Christmas,” Mikey squealed, not even bothering to lower his volume in his excitement.

Raph let out a hopefully convincing yawn and opened his eyes, giving his baby brother an affectionate smile. “Morning, Mike,” he said, rubbing at his eyes to try and sell the bit. “Merry Christmas.”

Mikey beamed sunshine, eyes shimmering despite the dim lighting. He was wiggling and bouncing in place, incapable of holding still for even a single second. Donnie had once joked that if he turned Mikey into a battery he'd be able to power the whole city and despite knowing nothing about science, Raph believed it.

“Can we open presents now?!” Mikey asked enthusiastically, ignoring his brother’s greeting.

Raph felt his stomach churn with worry and hoped it didn't reach his face. “Let’s get everyone else first, okay?”

Mikey sprung off the bed and was out the door in the blink of an eye. Raph smiled despite his anxiousness.

…

Mikey plopped down on top of Donnie, foregoing the gentle approach in favor of hurrying things along. Despite only pretending to be asleep, the softshell still jumped at the sudden physical contact. He sputtered to try and make sense of it all. “What? Angelo? Why did you-”

“It's Christmas, Dee,” Mikey emphatically informed.

“Yes, and?”

“And that means you gotta get up now so we can open presents,” Mikey continued, hands on his hips as he tried to mimic his brother's know-it-all tone. “Don't you wanna see what Santa brought you?”

As curious as he was to see if his dad had gotten him those computer parts he needed, he was much more worried about Mikey's present. All he really wanted right then was some coffee. But since he couldn't say any of that without arousing suspicion, he instead went with a simpler response. “I suppose I should get up then, since it seems I'm not allowed to sleep in.”

Mikey nodded, pleased he'd convinced his genius brother. Donnie tended to be grumpy first thing in the morning. “Yay!” Mikey cheered, hopping off him so he could stand. Despite the impatience bubbling in his chest he waited for his brother to climb out of bed, just to make sure Donnie didn't fall back asleep without him there.

Once he was on his feet, Mikey took his hand, leading him away from the warm, inviting bed and into the chilly hallway. He followed along limply, looking like a puppet being pulled by its strings.

Raph met them in the hallway and Mikey waved and released Donnie's hand, leaving his brother swaying unevenly. “I’mma get Leo,” Mikey said cheerfully. “Make sure he doesn't fall back asleep, okay?”

It was weird hearing Mikey give orders, especially since it was clear he was trying and failing to mimic Raph's ‘big brother’ tone, but the snapper just nodded in assurance, putting a hand to Donnie's shell to help keep him steady. “I will.”

Mikey, satisfied with that answer, grinned and trotted off for Leo's room, humming a Christmas song as he went. Once he was out of earshot, Raph leaned down and whispered, “You think he's gonna hate us?”

Donnie paused, trying to consider that carefully but it was far too early, his brain was far too tired, and emotions were something he struggled with on a good day. So instead he just groaned, leaned up against Raph's plastron and fought to keep his eyes open. “Ask me again once I'm awake.”

…

Leo was the most convincingly asleep, his covers strewn about, the muscles in his face and body relaxed, he even let out little snores so close to the real thing that Raph and Donnie might have actually believed he was sleeping, if not for the fact that Mikey couldn't seem to get him to wake up and Leo was notorious for being a light-sleeper.

To his credit, Mikey seemed to realize this too, getting more and more irritated as the slider refused to acknowledge him. He tried everything he could think of, he called his name, he patted his shell, he hit his shell, he told bad jokes, he tried to peel his eyes open, until eventually he was trying to physically push Leo out of the bed, whining bitterly. “Come on, Leo! I know you're awake! I wanna open presents!”

Leo yawned in a distinctively fake way, rolled over and pulled Mikey to his chest. “Hmm what's this new teddy bear I found,” the blue turtle murmured and Mikey let out a few angry chirps, fighting his hold.

“I'm not a teddy bear, I'm a turtle! And let me go!” Mikey kicked his little feet around, knocking the last of the covers to the floor.

Leo's mouth twitched as he fought back the grin. “Oh it's so noisy, it must be an electronic one,” Leo continued, squeezing his brother tighter to keep him from escaping. He finally peeked an eye open, looking over at his two brothers in the doorway, both of them grinning at the whole display. Mikey just continued wiggling. “Hey Raph, I think Santa gave me your present by mistake.”

Mikey finally managed to jerk a hand free, retaliating by tickling Leo behind the neck, where he was most sensitive to the attack. Instantly, Leo burst into laughter, releasing Mikey so he could try and pull away. But the box turtle wasn't having it, flopping on top of him so he couldn't escape easily, then tickled his neck with both hands to help add to the torture.

Leo tried to push him off but couldn't muster the strength as his lungs burned and his limbs turned to jelly. “Okay, Mikey! I give! Uncle!” he shouted between bouts of laughter but the baby turtle just tickled harder.

“Nope, this is my revenge,” Mikey giggled.

“Raph, Don, help!” Leo screamed, waving his arms desperately to get their attention.

Neither of them moved to do anything, Raph saying smugly, “Nah, you got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out.”

“Come, dear brother, let's wait for them in the kitchen,” Donnie added with a mischievous but still tired grin.

“Let's,” Raph replied and the two started off together.

“Traitors!” Leo yelled after then, still howling with laughter.

…

The four eventually made it to their dad's room, Leo carrying Mikey piggyback, but were shocked to find it empty. Their confusion didn't last long however, as a sweet scent in the air led them to the kitchen, where they found their dad and five steaming mugs. “Merry Christmas, my sons,” Splinter greeted them kindly, taking a small sip from his cup. “I trust you slept well.”

“Did Santa come? Did he bring me what I asked for?” Mikey asked, bouncing a little against Leo's shell.

Splinter chuckled. “I'm not certain. How about you drink your cocoa and then we'll go check.”

“Yay! Dad's hot cocoa!” Mikey exclaimed, jumping out of Leo's arms. Splinter handed him a cup and he settled down at the table to enjoy, sipping slowly so he didn't burn his mouth.

Splinter set his own cup down and picked up the three remaining mugs (using his tail to carry Raph's) and brought it over to the boys. “Here you are, my sons. For all your hard work.” He made sure to keep his voice down.

“Thanks, pops,” Raph said, rumbling softly as the warmth spread through his fingertips and up his arms. It felt nice.

Donnie leaned against his twin for support, still fighting for consciousness. He glowered at the mug in his hands, wishing it was coffee instead of cocoa. He barely even liked cocoa.

Leo looked more awake and alert than his brothers but was still sporting a nasty pair of eyebags. “Did you go into the living room yet?” the blue turtle asked, half curious, half confused.

Splinter gave him a suspicious look. “No, why?”

Leo's eyes widened and he quickly looked away. “Um, no reason,” he nervously muttered, bringing the cup to his lips so his dad wouldn’t ask anymore questions.

But he jerked away a second later, sticking his tongue out in disgust. “Ugh, why is it so bitter?”

Splinter leaned forward and whispered, “Ah, that would be the expresso I added to your drinks.”

Donnie swallowed the entire cup before even needing to take a breath.

Raph and Leo followed suit, drinking greedily as they felt the edges of exhaustion slowly creep away. By the time they were done, they all felt lively and energized again, a comforting warmth filling their insides, making each of them sigh in contentment.

Splinter smiled as each of them thanked him and handed back their cups. “Yes well, I had a feeling you’d need some of my ‘Santa special’. The only thing that got me through some years.” He winked then returned to his own simmering cup of cocoa.

Mikey jumped to his feet a second later. “Okay, I’m done! Now onto presents!”

“Yay,” Leo, Raph, and Donnie said as one. They tried to sound enthusiastic, with varying degrees of success but the box turtle didn’t even notice as he led them towards the living room.

The walk there was nerve-wracking for the older turtles, dread pooling in their stomachs as they watched their little brother. Mikey was skipping and singing and beaming ear to ear, blissfully unaware that every step only brought him closer to crushing disappointment. Leo tried to think of some way to stall him. Raph wondered if he should say something to prepare him for what he was about to see. Donnie was strongly considering setting off the emergency alarms just to get them out of the lair long enough for him to finish burning the tree to the ground. Anything to keep Mikey from stepping inside and seeing his disaster of a present.

But before any of them could implement their plans, they arrived.

Mikey slipped inside without a second thought and the three had no choice but to follow. The box turtle gasped loudly, causing his brothers to violently flinch, grimacing at the sight of the tree.

Somehow, despite all common sense, it looked even worse than before.

Raph, Donnie, and Leo nervously crowded around Mikey, trying desperately to interpret his shocked expression. His eyes had grown wide and mouth hanging slack, but it was impossible to tell if it was out of disappointment or not.

Still the boys couldn't imagine him liking it, suddenly feeling like the worst big brothers in the world. Their bodies stood tense, bracing themselves for the crying and screaming and rejection of all things Christmas to begin.

Instead, Mikey squealed, the shrill noise making their ears ring. “He came!” the box turtle exclaimed and his brothers froze on the spot, staring down at him in confused silence.

“He came! He came! He brought my gift!” Mikey was a giggling, joyful ball of energy, fluttering around the tree like a moth would a flame, trying to see as much of it as quickly as possible. His tail twitched and his eyes shone like diamonds as he pointed to the tree emphatically. “Guys! Guys! Look! Santa did it! He really did it! He got me a Christmas tree! And it’s decorated and got lots of presents underneath and everything!”

Slowly, the shock turned to relief and then to joy, Mikey’s big brothers pleasantly surprised by his reaction. Leo gave Donnie and Raph a thumbs up, the snapper letting out a soft sigh before beaming, while the softshell felt his heart swell with accomplishment and pride, lips twitching into a fond smile as he watched his little brother.

Splinter stepped into the room and Mikey was at his side in a heartbeat, grabbing him tightly by the hand as he bounced up and down. “Dad! Dad, look! Santa brought me a tree, just like I wanted!”

The rat opened his mouth to reply, only to be taken aback by the sight, turning to the others, who were suddenly very interested in staring at the walls, ceiling, and floor. He plastered on a smile, managing to say, “It’s very, um, unique.”

“Uh huh! It’s even got snow on it!”

“I would refrain from touching that,” Donnie spoke up but Mikey wasn’t paying attention.

He went back to admiring it up close, squealing at every little thing he saw. “Ohmigosh, he even put our ornaments on it! Come see!” He gestured them all over and they happily gathered around.

“Huh, how about that?” Raph said with a hopefully straight face.

“There’s mine,” Leo said, pointing it out. “You can tell from how cool it looks.”

“Yours is subpar at best,” Donnie retorted.

“Ohhhh someone’s jealous that mine are all higher up than yours. Guess that means that Santa likes me better.”

“What does height have to do with anything?”

“Just admit you’re jealous.”

“Why would I admit to something so obviously not true?”

“Can you two please not argue on Christmas,” Raph sighed in annoyance.

Mikey tugged on Raph’s arm and the snapper immediately dropped into a crouch. “Can you lift me up, Raphie? There’s something I wanna do.”

Raph nodded, picking his little brother up like he was nothing and setting him down on his shoulder. As the snapper stood, Mikey reached into his hoodie pocket to pull something out. Raph tried to peek up but the orange turtle put his foot over his eyes. “Don’t look, it’s a surprise!”

The snapper lowered his gaze again, staring at the ground. Once Mikey was sure it was safe, he went back to fishing his surprise out of his pocket, tongue sticking out in concentration. Out of his peripheral vision Raph could see Mikey putting something on the tree.

After a moment, Leo and Donnie took notice of their little brother but when they moved to see Mikey ordered them to cover their eyes, which they immediately did. Finally, Mikey was done, nodding once in satisfaction as he climbed down Raph’s arm and onto the floor. “Okay, you can look now!” he shouted to the family. Everyone glanced up at the tree, spotting Mikey’s surprise in an instant.

Just below the star were five clay ornaments, clearly the work of the little box turtle, each hung on different branches. Four of them were turtles wearing a separate color each: red, blue, orange and purple. Mikey had even added small details like Raph’s spikes, Donnie’s glasses, Leo’s eye stripes, his spots. The final one hung in the middle of the four, a rat with a bright smile on his face.

“Awww, Mikey! You made ornaments of us!” Raph cooed, cuddling his brother close to his plastron.

“Uh huh,” Mikey replied proudly, little tail twitching in joy. “That’s why I wanted the tree so bad! I wanted them to have a special place to go! Plus, it looks really nice!”

Raph felt tears in his eyes and Donnie and Leo quickly joined the group hug, tucking into the snapper’s sides, placing warm hands on Mikey’s shell. Splinter took his place at Mikey’s back, hands wrapping around to hold all his young sons. They were getting steadily bigger, by next year he doubted he could hold them all like this, so he decided to enjoy it while he still could.

“You shouldn’t have, little bro,” Leo said brightly.

“Yes, but we appreciate it, nonetheless,” Donnie added, tone gentle.

“You are too good to us, Orange,” Splinter murmured, nuzzling a cheek against his head, making the box turtle giggle as the whiskers tickled his leathery skin.

Mikey just beamed and said lightly, “Merry Christmas, you guys!”

“Merry Christmas, Mikey!” his family echoed to him.

And as the Christmas lights twinkled, the small family held fast, knowing this feeling would stay and would last.

The hug lingered and lingered, not one pulled away, the celebrating could begin a bit later that day.

And the big brothers three, though had feared it a mess, declared this Christmas mission a rousing success.

For the youngest sung praises to Santa with joy, his spirit unbroken, a greater gift than a toy.

Now the heisting was over, a word Raph would protest, so they could relax now and catch up on their rest.

Until Mikey declared with stars in his eyes, “Maybe next year he'll bring me a real reindeer that flies!”

Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed! I barely managed to finish this one in time for the holidays but thankfully I got a last minute burst of inspiration when I got to Mikey's part so I was able to get it done in time. I think I just really like writing Mikey back when he was a baby, hehe. But then I like writing all of the family and their shenanigans give me so much life XD

Can't believe this is my first official Rise fic! I've still got lots of ideas for the series as it's become my most recent obsession, haha. In fact, I'm wanting to make a whole series of little Turtle Tot one shots, among other things. So yeah, if you enjoyed maybe consider giving that one a read whenever it's ready.

For now I'm gonna go and enjoy my holiday! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Or Happy Holidays, regardless of what you celebrate!

#my writing #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #rottmnt fanfiction #save rottmnt #unpause rottmnt #turtle tots #disaster twins #magnetic duo #portal pals #pb&j duo #smarts and crafts #brains and brawn #sunset duo

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thdorkmagnet · 6 months

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Since you’re into tmnt now who’s your favorite and least favorite turtle if you have one.

haha it's actually really funny, my favorite has changed from childhood to adulthood but my least favorite has always stayed the same.

My least favorite is Raph. I've never been too fond of his type of character, especially when I was younger watching the 2012 series. I like him a lot more now (especially in Rise) but I still like the other brothers more.

As a kid Mikey was always my fav, I loved the goofball funny guy and was always drawn to them in every show I watched. Now however I've grown a deep love for Donnie. 12 Donnie had so many jokes and moments that I really didn't appreciate until much older. But I think it was watching Rise for the first time that sealed the deal. He's just so unhinged but deadpanned that I couldn't help but fall in love with his character XD

But really all of them are good in their own way and each play perfectly off of one another, hence why they have spawned so many incarnations over the years!

#asks #anonymous #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise donnie might actually be my favorite turtle ever!#leo is also great btw

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thdorkmagnet · 6 months

Text

Hello all! Got something a bit different for you today. Since I've been gone, I've fallen deep into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fandom (you can thank Mutant Mayhem for that) and I've created a fanfiction for a truly lovely comic from @indieyuugure known as Indie's Turtles. The actual comic itself isn't out just yet but they've been posting stuff for it and I just knew I needed to make something for it!

This fanfiction takes place during the Space Arc (link here) and deals with Donnie's trauma after the events of the previous arc the Save Donnie Arc (Links here, here, and here). Basically, Bishop kidnapped Donnie and experimented on him and the bros had to swoop in and rescue him. I also touch on some this comic (linkie here too) at one point.

Also please go easy on me if anyone is out of character this is my first time writing any version of the turtles ever! Haha, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any of its variants. Indie's Turtles/ Indie TMNT belong to @indieyuugure.

The door to the ship's bathroom slid open, Donnie stumbling into the room a moment after, his breathing heavy and labored, a hand clenched tightly to his chest. He froze for a second, realizing too late that the bathroom was smaller than he remembered, already feeling suffocated inside. But he was snapped back to reality as the door slid shut behind him, the noise causing him to jump. Using this new wave of panic, Donnie willed himself forward, muttering the command to the ship's AI to activate the door lock.

He practically fell against the sink, leaning all his weight on it as his knees shook terribly. His hands just dangled there, hot sticky blood dripping onto white marble, Donnie squeezing tighter in some vain effort to stop the bleeding but there was too much of it- there was so much blood- he needed to wash it off. Get it off, get it off, get it off. In order to do that he needed to turn on the sink. Steeling himself, Donnie released his grip, only for a new wave of blood to slide down his hand, pooling in the sink. Donnie shuddered, keeping his right hand turned down so he didn’t have to see. In a single fluid motion he turned the handle, hot water instantly bursting from the pipes. Without a second of hesitation he stuck both hands into the falling stream, wincing as the gash in his hand throbbed. As the majority of the blood washed away down the drain, Donnie felt his breathing start to steady, his mind returning to him. Okay, okay, this wasn’t so bad. He was… he was doing good. He just needed to clean the wound up, slap a bandaid on and it would be over. There was no need to panic. He was safe.

But as he flipped his hand over to examine the gash, a new wave of terror clenched his heart. The entirety of his middle finger had been split open, endless waves of blood spurting from the cut and Donnie was pretty sure he could see the bone. A wave of nausea hit Donnie all at once and he gagged, pressing his good hand over his mouth to try and keep it down. Hot water soon poured into the gash, a muffled hiss escaping Donnie’s lips at the pain. Pain, pain. It hurt so bad. Make it stop hurting. Donnie’s breathing became raw and raspy, struggling to pull enough air into his lungs. He was dying. The pain was unbearable as the pressure of the water cut into the wound. He could feel the blood flowing from his body, leaving a horrible, hollow feeling behind. The water was too hot, every drop felt like needles being jabbed into his skin, over and over again. Get them out, get them out.

He tried to remember the breathing technique dad had taught him but he couldn’t find it in the cacophony of thoughts screaming in his head. Stop, stop. Pain. No more. Brothers. Need my brothers. Donnie let out a wail, thankful the sound was muffled by his hand. It was too much. The blood was everywhere. He was dying.

“Oh relax turtle, you aren’t dying.”

Donnie whimpered and squirmed as the needle was jabbed into his arm just below the elbow. It hit a vein, he could feel it. He felt the blood being drained out of him. It burned. He squirmed, trying to break free, trying to escape but he couldn’t. He was trapped. He was helpless. Where were his brothers?!

“STAY STILL! Unless you want it to hurt more.” The threat made his blood run cold. Even though it burned. He hated this. He hated this place. This was agony.

Finally, the needle was ripped from his arm and Donnie hissed, squeezing his eyes shut to hide the forming tears. The man didn’t even bother to clean or cover the puncture wound, a stream of warm blood dripping down Donnie’s arm, echoing the tears that slid down his cheeks.

“All that fuss over one little needle. You are making this so much more difficult than it needs to be.” Good. If Donnie was going to go through this he wanted to make it as painful for this monster as possible. He was about to make a witty retort but before he could the man spoke again, his voice cold and cynical. “You might as well get used to it, y'know. We’ll be at this for a while.”

Donnie didn’t even have time to scream before he felt the stab of another needle and the whole painful process started over again.

Donnie was trembling head to toe now, his body drenched in sweat as the flashback ended. Or paused really, since he was currently reliving the nightmare in real time. Tears dripped down his face as he sobbed brokenly. He shoved both arms entirely under the running faucet scrubbing at them with his good hand and his bad, dripping blood all over him. Everything itched. Everything hurt. He was coming undone. The sobs wracked his whole body, his tears mixing with the blood and water, a flood of pink filling the sink before swirling down the drain in a hypnotizing dance. Donnie felt his attention pulling away from the wound and onto the drain, watching it with a kind of mindless fascination.

He felt light-headed, like his brain had detached from his body floating freely above, an observer in his own skin. He could hear his thoughts roaring in his head, feel the knots in his stomach and the tears on his cheeks, the throbs of pain in his hand, but it was like he wasn’t there. He was separated, disconnected. The logical part of his brain told him he was losing too much blood. He needed to stop the bleeding. But that part was so far away. He couldn’t hear it through the fog. He fell to his knees. He wanted to lay down. He wanted to lay there and drift away. Maybe he would find a new self to inhabit. One that wasn’t so broken. One that didn’t hurt like he was hurting. He could just drift away and…

Footsteps. Footsteps down the hall. Someone was coming. Something about that grounded Donnie, pulling him back into himself. His head still spun but he was there again, in his own body. He tried to stand, using the sink for support, feeling his knees wobble but somehow keeping his balance. Who was it? Who was coming? His brothers? Fugitoid? Were they coming to check on him? How long had he been gone? They couldn’t see him like this. He didn’t want to be seen. He didn’t want to be touched. If they found him here they would make him go to the medbay and the thought of that alone made him nauseas all over again. He couldn’t. He couldn’t go in there, no matter what.

Thinking fast he turned on the showerhead, water bursting from the nozzle and soaking the floor. Steam flooded the room, fogging Donnie’s glasses, rendering him blind. But at the very least it was no longer obvious he had been crying. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around his hand, trying to stop the bleeding or at least try and hide it. Which seemed pointless since there was blood everywhere now.

There was a soft knock on the door and Donnie jumped. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. Or maybe that was just the heat from the shower and faucet finally getting to him.

“Hey, Don, you in there?” Leo. It was Leo on the other side of the door and he suddenly felt compelled to run into his arms and hide there until the pain ended. He might have done so if his legs weren’t shaking so much.

“Y-Yeah,” Donnie stuttered, hoping he sounded normal and not… well, the opposite.

“How long you been in there?” Leo asked, a hint of concern in his tone.

He had been expecting that question. It was a normal occurrence for him ever since he had started to shower longer than he should, since Mikey had found him in the middle of his multiple-hour showering sessions, scratching at his arms until they had been rubbed raw. Since then his family and friends had tried to limit the amount of time he was allowed to spend in the bathroom. “J-Just now,” he replied, trying to pull the towel tighter. It was starting to bleed through.

“Didn’t you get one earlier today?” Did he? Don couldn’t think straight, couldn’t make sense of the confusing mess of his mind, the fog still present and persistent.

“I, uh, spilled something on me. Needed to wash it off.” It was a weak lie but it was the best Donnie could do right now.

There was a pause as Leo seemed to hesitate. “...Are you doing okay?”

Donnie felt his chest clench. Had Leo seen through him? Did he know he was lying? What had tipped him off? “N-No, I’m fine, everything’s fine.” Why wouldn’t he just go away? Donnie’s resolve wasn’t very strong right now and he knew with enough pushing Leo could get the truth out of him. Maybe even get him out of the bathroom. He wasn't sure if he wanted that or not.

Another pause before a tired sigh. “Don, there’s blood leading from your lab to here.” Donnie flinched, wondering how he had overlooked something so simple. Wasn’t he supposed to be smarter than that? Leo seemed to be waiting for a response but Donnie didn’t know what to say, his tongue suddenly feeling like lead in his mouth, his thoughts too jumbled and the pain too great for him to form any kind of excuse. Finally, Leo continued, his tone gentle and coaxing. “Look, I know you probably want to be alone right now but, uh, I just want to make sure you're okay. It was… a lot of blood and I know you don’t… handle that well.”

Donnie swallowed, his eyes flooding with tears yet again, the urge to run to his brother growing stronger by the second.

Leo’s voice was soft. Calculated. “I won't push you. I just want to help."

“P-Promise you won’t say anything,” Donnie finally managed to get out.

“I won’t, I promise,” Leo’s voice replied, hopeful, relieved.

“And don’t m-make me go to the medbay. I don’t… I can’t.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Leo sounded a bit confused by that request but still agreed in a heartbeat. That was enough for Don, sucking in a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves as he muttered the unlock command, the door sliding open in an instant. Leo shuffled inside, eyes wide, clearly taken aback by the state of the small bathroom. Then his eyes fell on his brother and Donnie felt the sudden urge to hide. He knew it must be quite a sight to see, Donnie and the bathroom covered in blood, hot steam billowing out of the small room in droves, cheeks damp with fresh tears and a bloody towel haphazardly wrapped around his right hand. But somehow Leo kept his promise, clenching his jaw tightly, forcing his face to stay neutral. Still Donnie squirmed in place, wondering what he was supposed to do or say now that Leo was here. An explanation would probably be nice.

“I-I was tinkering with some of Fugitoid’s tech and the- the metal piece slipped and well…” Donnie felt his skin crawl and he shuddered, the sentence dying on his tongue. He looked away, no longer feeling strong enough to face his brother, feeling hollow and exposed. What was Leo going to say, what was he going to do? If the roles were reversed Donnie would be lecturing by now. A few tears pricked at his eyes. He didn’t want his brother to see him this way, so useless and scared and broken.

But all Leo did was crouch down in front of his brother, slowly holding a hand out to him, waiting patiently for Donnie to react. It took him a few seconds to process what Leo wanted, a silent request to check Donnie’s finger. Don hesitated but finally worked up the courage to give him his hand, placing it flat against his brother's palm. Slowly Leo unfolded the towel, expression focused but calm. As cold air hit the open wound, Donnie hissed through his teeth. Leo’s eyes widened, worry etched into his features as he stared at the gash, some blood already starting to leak out again.

It felt like a lifetime before Leo moved again, finally nodding to himself, a decision made before he met Donnie’s eyes. “It needs stitches.”

Donnie felt a tremble jump up his spine, pulling his hand away and to his shell, shaking his head violently. No. No needles. He couldn’t. He struggled to articulate this though, instead merely whimpering pathetically. “I know, Dee, I know,” Leo said softly, shooting his brother an apologetic smile. “But there’s no other way. It’s gotta be done.” Donnie knew he was right but it still terrified him. “Let’s go back to my room, okay. I'm sure you don't wanna do it on the bathroom floor."

Donnie nodded numbly, allowing his brother to take command like he always did, gently pulling him to his feet. Leo grabbed another towel and wrapped it around the gash, tying a knot to try and hold it better in place. He then instructed Donnie to put pressure on the wound, guiding his shaking hands as Donnie failed to follow along with what Leo was saying. He felt really dizzy and tired all of a sudden, the pain and panic still tugging at his heart and head but almost… muted now. He was disconnecting again, he realized. Only this time he had Leo to ground him.

Leo turned off the faucet and showerhead before wrapping an arm around brother's shell, keeping him steady as he swayed unevenly on his feet. Donnie hadn't even noticed. Leo's other hand was cupped over Donnie's, helping to add a bit more pressure. It felt nice.

"What about the mess?" Donnie sluggishly asked, feeling a pang of guilt for reasons he didn't really understand.

"Later. Right now we gotta get you patched up."

Donnie grunted in agreement, finding himself leaning into his brother, allowing Leo to guide him to his room. He felt Leo shift, readjusting his grip so he could better support Donnie’s weight.

He needed this, Donnie realized. This comforting grip from his brother, this safety. He hadn’t realized just how much he had come to rely on the others since Bishop. Some days it felt like their support was the only thing keeping him stable. It made him feel a bit… helpless. In the past the others had always relied on him, he was the brains, the inventor, the medic, the one they went to when they didn’t know what to do. Now though. Now he relied on them. An equal exchange maybe. Donnie didn’t know anymore and he was too tired to care. Right now he just wanted to be there in the protective grip of his older brother and believe everything was okay.

Maybe that was enough for now.

…

Leo had experience with pain.

As the oldest and the leader, Leo was used to taking the hits the others couldn't. He did his best to cover their weaknesses, to endure the brunt of the attack so that his family didn’t have to. He thought he could take it, he had a high pain tolerance only rivaled by Raph, and most of his injuries healed pretty quickly anyways. At the time, he thought he was being heroic, but looking back it had been nothing more than naive stupidity.

It was only when he got his first real taste of pain Leo learned he wasn't as invincible or as strong as he thought he was. It had felt like dying. The agony, the fear, the helplessness, they were thoughts and feelings he had never known before. No loss had ever felt like this, nothing had ever come so close to breaking him before. Sometimes late at night, he wondered if he actually had broken and just pretended not to notice. Those nights he usually never got to sleep.

When Leo finally woke, body still alive with pain but no longer alone, surrounded by his family and friends, he had thought the worst was over. But once again it was either optimism or innocence blinding him to the truth.

He hadn’t escaped from the fight, it had just changed form.

The weeks and months that followed were the hardest of his entire life, a never-ending struggle against his own mind and body, nightmares and flashbacks haunted him like ghosts, and the few bits of Leo left felt so utterly empty, like there was nothing of him left at all. Every day was a fight that left him drained and exhausted, pushing his limits and tearing at the fabric of his sanity, always one step away from unraveling the empty self Leo had become.

Somehow though, Leo had kept going, kept pushing, kept trying. He still didn't entirely know why, maybe it was his dad in him, maybe he was just too stubborn to roll over and die, or maybe it was the leader refusing to abandon his team, but something in him kept him going. Kept him fighting. He fought for his family, for his friends, for his city, for himself.

And slowly, ever so slowly, things got better. Easier. Day by day, step by step, Leo got better. There were still hard days when he fell apart all over again but he was strong enough to overcome them now. He wouldn't say he was healed, not completely, but he was more whole, more himself.

Which is why it felt like sick irony that the moment Leo started to feel more whole it was Donnie who fell apart. His time as Bishop's experiment had been brief but it had left him in the same broken state Leo knew all too well. The circumstances were different but the scars they left were the same. And if Leo had thought it was painful experiencing it firsthand, it was pure agony watching the same thing happen to his brother, to Donnie.

The others had noticed the changes in him, too, but not on the same level as Leo. No Leo was painfully aware of every hitch in his brother's breath, every involuntary flinch at the wrong word or sound, every shudder when he thought no one was looking. He knew them because at one time they had been his.

Leo did his best to be what Donnie needed him to be. A pillar of strength in a sea of darkness and fear. He remembered his family's support during his lowest and how much it had done for him. Leo wanted, needed, to be that for Donnie. And as the group made the jump from New York to space, Leo started seeing a more positive response from his brother. The fear still lingered but it was drowned out by the thrill of discovery, Donnie captivated by the new technology he saw, enthralled by the new places and species they encountered, an eagerness to learn and understand that was so fundamentally Donnie it made Leo's chest hurt. He had missed this side of his brother. More than he knew. And maybe that was why he foolishly, stupidly, started to believe that things were better. That Donnie was fine.

Leo really had to stop pretending he knew anything.

Seeing the blood staining Donnie’s workbench had been a wake-up call, a cold splash of reality that turned his veins to ice. His body moved before his mind could, running down the metallic halls of the ship using the trail of blood to guide him. He reprimanded himself, cursed himself, for ever believing Donnie was okay. Not when he knew the effort it took to heal, to make any kind of progress. It was an exhausting struggle, a push and pull against hope and despair that never seemed to reach a victor. Even if things had improved Donnie’s scars were too new, too fresh, that anything could send him spiraling. Leo still remembered the first month in the farmhouse when Mikey had fumbled and shattered a cup. The family was more careful around glass after that.

Leo hadn't started breathing again until he heard Don's voice through the bathroom door. It surprised him that his brother had chosen to take shelter there, since small spaces tended to be another trigger of Donnie’s. He must have been desperate. It had taken some gentle persuasion to get inside, giving Leo momentary relief as he feared Donnie might completely shut him out in this state. However, all thoughts froze the moment he saw his younger brother.

It felt like looking into a twisted mirror, distorted but still the same, reflecting his past self back at him. Donnie’s body was covered in blood, cheeks red and puffy from crying, his breathing shallow and quick. It had clearly been a bad attack, one of the worst Leo had ever witnessed and his heart ached for his brother. He struggled to keep his face neutral, trying to remember the promise he had made, clenching his jaw and biting down so hard on his tongue he tasted blood. Donnie seemed to shrink under his gaze, trying to offer a weak explanation that quickly broke off as his eyes grew listless and empty, clearly pulled back into a painful memory. Leo could guess which one.

There was something achingly familiar in Donnie’s broken look, he could see him struggle to hold back the torrent of emotions pulling him down and Leo feared if he did nothing his brother might drown in it. No, Leo thought, steeling himself. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to hold Donnie up until he could swim on his own again, the way Don and the others had done for him. So he had shoved it all down, all the emotions threatening to strangle him, and forced himself to focus on his brother. He had decided to come at it logically, turning his attention to the most pressing concern right then which was most definitely the gash in his brother’s hand. The panic attack seemed to have mostly subsided, even if it had left Donnie shook, but even with a towel pressed to it, he had clearly still been bleeding. And he had lost too much blood already.

He hated how his brother seemed to recoil at the first mention of stitches. The way Donnie pulled his hand away and shook his head reminded Leo of when they were kids and their dad had tried to coax Donnie into eating something on his plate he disliked. Donnie had always been the picky eater of the family. Leo felt himself trying to match his dad’s tone in those moments, soft, apologetic, but with no room for argument. It surprised him a little when Donnie wordlessly agreed, expecting some kind of fight on the matter.

But as he practically carried his brother to his room, it occurred to him that Don just didn’t have the energy to argue. For some reason, that made Leo’s stomach twist into knots. Donnie had felt so limp against him, his movements sluggish and unfocused, the exact opposite of the brother he knew and loved. He wanted that brother back so, so badly.

As they settled on Leo’s bed, however, small bits of Donnie started to return, reprimanding Leo for forgetting to disinfect the wound before starting, even if he kept his eyes on the far wall instead of his brother. He had begun a long-winded rant about the dangers of infection and Leo had just let him talk, knowing it was more to distract himself than to actually educate. He still noticeably flinched every time Leo pressed the needle into his skin but both turtles pretended not to notice.

Eventually, the speech had trailed off and Donnie went uncharacteristically quiet. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, the only sound was the tapping of Donnie’s foot against the ground, anxiously bouncing as he fought to hold back the panic. Leo glanced up every so often to see how his brother was holding up, everytime greeted by the same wide eyed look staring off into the distance instead of at him. Donnie had pressed a hand against his mouth, possibly to cover the frantic breathing Leo could just barely make out. He tried to work faster but stitches were a bit outside his area of expertise. He had tried to point this out to Don but his brother was adamant that it needed to be him. Leo couldn’t help but feel flattered by that, even if a part of him knew it was just Donnie being cautious. Mikey and Raph were likely to freak and that only raised his chances of visiting the dreaded medbay. That meant Leo had to take the extra time to do it right. He couldn’t risk it reopening and causing a fiasco. Or worse, send Donnie spiraling all over again.

So instead, he did his best to distract, asking Donnie a question he hoped would get him talking again. "So, Don, what were you working on? Anything interesting?"

Donnie flinched before going still, even the tapping stopped, drawing Leo’s attention upwards. Leo saw his brother’s eyes glaze over and nearly panicked, worried he had said the wrong thing. But before he could try and change the subject Donnie responded softly, "I was trying to upgrade my staff."

Leo held in a sigh, returning his focus back on the stitches. Good. At least Donnie was talking. “Oh. What kinda upgrades?” Leo had done some minor tweaks with his katanas in the past but knowing Don his plans were probably excessively excessive.

“Well for starters I’m going to reinforce the base using titanium to help strengthen it in combat. From there I have some ideas for additional weapon enhancements.”

“With like, what? Missiles? Rockets? Lasers?” Leo teased.

“Yes,” Donnie said simply and the grin vanished from Leo’s lips. Okay, yep, that was definitely excessive. And unnecessary. They were ninjas, they were supposed to be silent killers, it was gonna be kinda hard to do that if they were blowing up anything that got close to them.

But not wanting to offend his brother, he instead asked, “Isn’t that more replacing than upgrading?”

“Perhaps to some.” There was no emotion in Donnie’s tone, his eyes growing distant and vacant. Though his foot had started tapping again, the only indication of his distress.

Leo swallowed down the lump in his throat, lowering his gaze again as he finished off his current stitch and started the next one. He felt Donnie tense and gave him a weak apology. “Sorry, almost done.”

“It’s fine.” Nothing about Donnie’s tone was fine but Leo didn’t want to comment on it and neither did his brother.

“So when do I get to see this cool futuristic staff?” Leo asked, trying to put as much enthusiasm in his voice as he could.

Donnie let out a tired sigh. “Too early to say. It’s still very much a work in progress. I haven’t even finished the frame.”

“Well whenever it’s done, I’m sure it’ll be awesome. Like everything you make,” Leo complimented.

Donnie grunted in agreement before going quiet again. Luckily, Leo was close to finishing so he decided to let the silence settle, focusing intensely as he added the last few stitches. Once he was done, he tied a small knot at the end to keep it from unraveling before severing the thread and putting it and the needle back in the small case sitting next to him.

“There done,” Leo said in relief, observing his handiwork. It was far from perfect, the stitches crooked and poorly spaced, no doubt Fugitoid could have done it better, but the wound was sealed and that’s what mattered. At the very least he didn’t have to worry about Donnie further injuring himself.

After a moment, Donnie inspected his finger as well, something akin to fear flashing across his eyes before he looked away. Leo wasted no time in sliding a black fingerless glove over the wound. “I-It looks good.” Donnie’s voice cracked and he quickly cleared his throat to try and hide the slip up. “Decent work for your first time.” His fingers seemed to subconsciously pick at the glove as he nervously spoke.

“I’m sure Fugitoid could have done it better. Or you for that matter," Leo replied.

Donnie swallowed before giving him a weak smile. “Regardless, it was a good job. You did a good job."

Leo paused, waiting to see if Donnie had more to say. There certainly seemed to be more, something heavy and unspoken hovering between them. But Leo didn't push, instead returning the compliment with a grateful nod. "Glad the genius approves," he joked. "Although it's probably going to scar, there wasn't much I could do about-"

"Why aren't you asking me about what happened?!" Donnie blurted out and Leo went silent, waiting patiently for his brother to finish. "Go ahead, I know you wanna know right! Or maybe you wanna lecture me! Tell me how broken I am! How I'm being careless! How I nearly died because I was too stubborn to ask for help!" There was anger in his tone, raw and vile and hateful, and while Leo was the target, he knew he wasn't the source. He wanted to believe it was Bishop who had invoked Donnie's wrath but he knew better.

This kind of anger could only ever be self-inflicted.

Donnie buried his face in his hands, unknowingly sliding his glasses up to his forehead, hiding the frustrated tears threatening to spill over. "I just don't understand what you're waiting for! You already saw everything, I know you're worried about me!" Donnie barked out a soulless chuckle. "I'm worried about me! If Mikey or Raph were here they would have already dragged it out of me! So why aren't you?!"

Leo nearly laughed at the irony. He remembered having those exact thoughts when Raph had comforted him. Leo had woken from a particularly violent nightmare, panting and bathed in sweat. He had given up on the hopes of sleep thanks to the throbs of pain from his newly acquired wounds, instead sneaking downstairs to play video games. He didn't even bother picking one out, just playing what was already in the N64. His thoughts began to wander as he played through a few levels of Street Smash, muscle memory kicking in as he powered through enemy after enemy. Leo's thoughts, however, were stuck in a losing battle as he relived that night again and again and again. He was lost so deep in the memory he didn't even notice Raph until he was standing over his shoulder, questioning why Leo was up at 3 in the morning.

Leo tried to dodge the question, anxiously waiting for Raph to call him out, to begin pestering him for answers he was too tired and too broken to give, to turn the game off and force him back into bed. Instead, he plopped down next to him and started to play too. Of all the responses Leo had been anticipating this was not it. Here Raph was pleasantly chatting about Street Smash as if the brother sitting next to him wasn't sleep-deprived and traumatized. It was jarring but not unpleasant, the first real sense of normalcy since he woke up.

It didn't take much for Leo to open up after that, the silence that settled between them the final push he needed to get him talking. It was reluctant at first but soon he couldn't stop the words as they poured out of him, burning like fire on his tongue. And Raph just listened, watching him with gentle, worried eyes. That split open a dam in Leo's heart, tears rolling down his cheeks in waves. Raph pulled him into a hug and Leo just cried for all he lost. He felt like a little lost kid as he buried his head in Raph's plastron, sobbing brokenly.

It felt like a lifetime before the tears finally stopped, leaving Leo too exhausted to move or think or feel. He expected Raph to let go but he just continued to hold him there, rubbing soft circles into Leo’s shell. A calmness settled over him, strange and foreign but not unpleasant. He leaned into the feeling, letting it settle in his bones.

Raph asked if Leo wanted to go to bed but he shook his head, worried that the nightmares would chase this warm feeling away, leaving him lost to coldness and fear. Raph finally pulled out of the hug but only so he could snuggle against Leo, picking up his controller and restarting the level. The two stayed up the rest of the night playing video games and Raph never once spoke about what happened, content to just sit there in silence with his brother.

Things got a little easier after that, leaving Leo a little stronger to face what was to come. Leo didn't know where he would be now if Raph hadn't been there that night to listen, to support him, to pull him out of the brink of despair and help him find his footing again.

Now it was his turn to be that for Donnie.

Leo considered his words carefully, asking himself what Donnie most needed to hear right now. "Did you want to talk about what happened?"

Donnie seemed taken aback by this reply, shifting awkwardly on Leo's bed. "Not particularly," he mumbled.

"Then we won't," Leo replied simply. Donnie's eyes narrowed suspiciously, doubt written across his features. Clearly Donnie wasn't taking him at his word. He looked like he expected the whole thing to be a trick, like any second Leo might suddenly start prying into things he'd rather keep to himself. It was distinctly familiar, a look Donnie had flashed him a hundred times and he very nearly laughed in relief.

"What, I'm being serious! Yeah I'm worried about you but I'm not gonna force you to talk about stuff. I'm here to support you, Don, in whatever way you need."

Donnie’s expression softened but the skepticism didn't quite go away. "So we can just sit here? In silence?"

"If that's what you need."

"And there are no ulterior motives?" Donnie moved in so their faces were inches apart. "Like, perhaps, getting me to talk about what happened with… Bishop." Leo didn't miss the subtle shudder at the mention of Donnie's captor.

Leo kept his face neutral, matching his brother's suspicious look with one of sympathy. "You just came down from a panic attack, pushing you is the last thing I'm going to do."

Donnie hesitated, Leo practically seeing the gears turn in his brother's head, before finally giving a curt nod, collapsing back onto the bed with a noticeable sigh. "Thank you," he mumbled, pulling off his glasses so he could massage his eyes with his one good hand. Leo studied his brother closely. All the emotion had washed from Donnie’s face leaving only exhaustion in its place. Leo could see the eyebags, thick and heavy, an exact match for his own back in the day. Who knows how long it had been since Donnie had a good night's sleep.

"I'm sorry you had to see me that way," Donnie finally said. Even his tone was just tired.

"Dee, you've seen me fall apart plenty of times," Leo reminded him.

"Yes but for you it was more justified."

That gave Leo pause, unsure how to even process that statement. What was that even supposed to mean? That Donnie's wasn't justified? That he deserved it! What kind of nonsense was that?! Leo just couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could Donnie, his genius of a brother, not only say something so obviously false but actually believe it! It was baffling! "I- What- How is that-" Leo sucked in a breath, gathering his thoughts, not sure where to even start to dissect Donnie’s logic. "Okay, back up. Explain to me how exactly what happened to me was 'justified' compared to you."

"You almost died." Donnie said it like it was obvious. Like it was a fact.

"You weren't exactly living it up when we found you, Don," Leo reminded him.

Donnie sat up in a flash. "True but I wasn't at risk of dying. Bishop made it quite clear he intended to keep me alive. You, on the other hand, nearly lost your life! You were in a coma for three weeks! You have scars that permanently altered your body! In comparison, I should be doing so much better!"

"And you went through something just as awful, Don!" Leo argued, putting both hands on his brother's shoulders. "Don't turn what happened into a contest of measuring scars, you went through a crappy situation and now you're trying to heal from it, end of story."

Donnie growled in frustration. "But I still should be doing better! What happened is already done! I know that! But the second something goes wrong it's like I'm back there and I can't convince myself I'm not and every little thing sets me off and I just don't know what i'm doing anymore! Nothing makes sense! I don't know how to fix it!" Donnie pressed both fists into the side of his head, the pressure enough Leo feared he would leave bruises. If Donnie had hair he was sure his brother would have ripped it up by the roots already. Instead he just pressed tighter in some vain effort to physically squeeze the thoughts from his head.

Leo gave his brother a sad smile before gripping him by the wrists, pulling his hands away from his skull. Donnie gave him a look of tearful bewilderment but it seemed to refocus him a little. Another flashback, no doubt. "I know, Don. I know it's hard. Believe me I do. But this isn't something you can just fix. It takes time and it takes energy, sometimes more than you feel like you can give. It's like… y'know the metaphor about climbing over the mountain?"

Donnie's nonexistent eyebrows pinched together, giving Leo a puzzled look. "Vaguely," came the skeptic reply.

"Well it's kinda like that, only the hardest part isn't getting to the peak, it's getting knocked back down and still having enough strength to climb back up."

Donnie gave him a long, hard stare. "Your metaphor has several holes in it," he deadpanned.

Leo's face lit up in a blush. "Hey, I'm trying here," he groaned pathetically. "This stuff isn't exactly easy to talk about."

Donnie lowered his gaze, staring at his gloved hand distantly. "Still, I do get what you're trying to say. For me, it's just… not that simple." His eyes narrowed, nose wrinkling in disgust. "Everyone is… counting on me! They can't afford to wait for me to get better! I don't have time to fall apart!" A few tears dripped onto his opened palm and he clenched it into a fist and looked away.

Leo gently reached out and cupped Donnie's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles the way Raph had to Leo’s shell that night. "I know it's hard for you. You've always been the type to give and give until there's nothing left to give. But you can't do that now, Donnie. Not with this. You gotta put yourself first this time."

"But Leo I can't just stop-"

"I'm not asking you to stop. I'm asking you to slow down and give yourself the time when you need it. Can you at least do that? For me?"

Donnies breath hitched, coughing as he tried to suppress the sob. He wiped away a few stray tears, nodding silently. "Yeah," he choked out.

Leo felt the tension in his body start to fade. That’s all he wanted to hear. To know that Donnie would listen. That he wouldn’t push himself until he broke. That he wouldn’t give more than he had to spare. That was enough for now. Leo could help with everything else. He would be there. He'd make sure of it. "Good," he whispered. "And it gets easier, for the record. You just gotta take it one day at a time."

Donnie sighed, sliding his glasses back on. "I sincerely hope so. I have a lot of projects to finish and I hate the idea of stalling them every time things get bad."

"But you will, right?" Leo shot him a scolding glare.

Donnie just rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I already said I would. What do you need me to cross my heart, pinkie swear, maybe give it to you in writing?"

Leo couldn't help but smile. This was the brother he was missing. He had changed, grown more skittish, but he was still fundamentally Donnie. In the same way Leo was still Leo. No amount of pain could take that away from them.

"No, that's good enough," Leo said with a shake of his head. "And hey, if you ever need help with all this, just know I'm here for you. Whenever you need it."

Donnie seemed to contemplate this for a moment, slowly opening his mouth to speak. Leo kept his face even but felt hope flutter in his chest all the same. Maybe today was the day his brother would finally talk about Bishop, finally find some relief from the pain building and bubbling inside him. But Donnie seemed to think better of it, mouth snapping shut as he gave a half-hearted nod. "Thanks, I'll … keep that in mind."

Leo masked his disappointment behind an understanding smile. He wasn't ready yet. That was okay. They could take this as slow as Donnie needed. Baby steps.

Instead he moved to slide off the bed, only for warm arms to envelop him from behind. Leo froze and held his breath, worried Donnie might take back the hug and pretend it never happened. But he didn't. Instead, Don clung tighter, pulling Leo as close as they could go until they were pressed shell to shell. Leo slowly turned to try and read his brother's facial expression but Donnie had already buried his head in his shoulder and out of sight. Leo could hear and feel Donnie’s breath shudder as if fighting back tears.

"Please stay." The request was so soft Leo barely heard it. It made his heart shatter and melt at the same time. Despite being taller, Donnie looked so small pressed up against him, and Leo swallowed back the lump in his throat. How long had it been since his younger brother had clung to him like this? Not since he was thrown through that window, Leo realized. The day Donnie's perception of his older brother had changed forever, the day Leo had proven to be fallible. Yet another thing lost to the Shredder's brutality.

Leo gave Don's arms a squeeze. "I will," he reassured softly. "Can I give you a hug?"

Donnie nodded, releasing his grip long enough for Leo to turn towards him before latching on again, pressing himself firmly, almost possessively, against his brother’s shell. The mountains had given way to ocean, the waters stormy and violent, the depths eagerly waiting to swallow them whole. Waves of despair crashed against them, threatening to pull them under, while the icy wind whispered their demise.

Donnie sobbed once and clung to his lifeline with all he was worth and Leo hugged back just as tightly, promising he wouldn't let them drown.

Soon Leo would have to let go. He couldn't leave blood splattered all over the ship, not unless he wanted the others to have a meltdown. But right now, he just wanted to hold his little brother. To know that he was here, that he was safe. He needed that reassurance just as much as Donnie did. There was still a long road ahead for both of them. But in this moment, they were okay. Everything was okay.

And maybe that was enough for now.

Thank you for reading! I had a lot of fun with this little side project! It was supposed to be done in a day but then I got stuck on Leo's part and ended up spending a month on it haha! This story was mostly an excuse for my headcannons about Donnie post-kidnapping. That being his germaphobia getting increasingly worse, taking extra long showers, and scratching at his arms without thinking. He also hates the medbay on the ship since it makes him have flashbacks to Bishop. During the writing process I actually remembered Indie's post about Donnie's trauma and was surprised I was right on the nose with a lot of it haha. I also briefly hinted on the fact that Donnie feels inferior to Fugitoid but didn't want to dive too deep since I know Indie will do it much better than I can here. There was a lot of speculation going on for stuff but I'm happy with how it turned out! Still can't wait for the actual comic though haha!

#my writing #tmnt #tmnt fanfiction #indie's tmnt #indie's turtles #donatello hamato #leonardo hamato #cw: blood #cw: panic attack

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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Light of the Sun and Stars Chapter 50: Monster Bash (Preview)

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: It's a big step forward for Monster and Mewman unity as the two races gather together to party and have fun. And while everyone else is enjoying themselves, Star is far from calm, struggling to keep her sanity knowing a dark threat from her path is on the hunt. Meanwhile, a series of phone calls pulls Marco away from the celebration, bringing a new shocking twist to this tale.

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Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

A light atmosphere filled the otherwise dark cave, Monsters and Mewmans alike all gathered together in celebration, simply enjoying each other’s company. It had been an odd choice to host a party but the insistence from the Monster teens had convinced Star and the others to give it a try and the results spoke for themselves. While the dim lighting could be seen as creepy or dull, it instead created a sense of mystery and enchantment, helped along by the floating orbs of light that lined the ceiling, courtesy of Star. Colored spotlights had been aimed up at them, reflecting the bright colors across the dreary cave, helping create the perfect atmosphere for the guests. Off to the left was a mouthwatering buffet of delicacies found all across Mewni, including a few Monster dishes thanks to Kelly’s instance. To the right was a simple dining area so the party-goers could sit and enjoy a meal if they so pleased, each table draped in fine cloth and colorful streamers. And it seemed the hard work everyone had put in had paid off as Monster teens laughed and danced with their Mewmans allies, mostly made up of commission members.

But it seemed there was one group who were not feeling the festive spirit, too deep in worry to enjoy such historic accomplishments. At a table near the back of the cave, a dark tension seemed to be swirling around four unsuspecting teens, each lost deep in their own fears. Star’s foot tapped nervously against the stone ground, her eyes darting left and right in search of some invisible force that wasn’t there. Every little sound made her jump, her movements stiff and mechanical as she fought back the ever-increasing anxiety bubbling just below the surface. Marco watched her like a hawk, refusing to leave her side for even a second, though the temptation of the party called to him, his girlfriend took priority over having fun. Jackie was sidelined already, her leg making it impossible to enjoy the party to the fullest, though she didn’t seem troubled, a calm expression on her face as she looked over the happy party-goers. Higgs was much more alert, her eyes narrowed in surveillance as she slowly scanned the crowd over and over again.

Finally, the young knight groaned in frustration, slamming her hands down on the table. “This is ridiculous! All of this is a waste of time! We should be out there finding Heinous instead of sitting here doing nothing!”

“Shhhh, Higgs sit down!” Jackie hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her back into her chair. She leaned in close as she whispered, “Do you want everyone in Mewni to know?”

Higgs scoffed, ripping her arm free. “I just don’t see the point of all this! Star’s a nervous wreck, the last thing she needed right now was a party.”

Jackie sighed in exasperation, but spoke in a calm, even tone, “The point is that we have to make things seem normal. No one else can know about Heinous, it would just cause more issues than it would fix.”

“Beside, Babs said she was close to figuring it out,” Marco helpfully supplied. “Isn’t that right, Star?”

The blonde nodded mechanically, anxiety written all over her face. “Yeah but she has been saying that all week.”

“I’m sure she’s got this, Star,” Jackie comforted, placing a hand over her friend’s. “We just have to trust her.”

Higgs scoffed. “Yeah right, she’s probably just taken the money and bailed. Assassins can’t be trusted, they’re all a bunch of murders and liars.”

“Hey, if she was gonna do that why bother telling us about Heinous at all,” Marco defensively argued.

“Oh Marco, you have so much to learn still,” Higgs replied, shaking her head at his naivety.

The hooded teen frowned at his friend while still watching Star out of the corner of his eye, judging her reaction to the accusation. The blonde’s expression didn’t change, the same anxious energy surrounding her as she just stared down at her untouched plate of food. It had been as tough a week for Marco as it had for Star, the boy powerless as he watched his girlfriend’s mental and physical health take a decline for the worst. She barely ate, hardly slept, plagued by nightmares as much during the day now then as at night. Marco had started sleeping on her couch in her room just in case her dreams took a turn for the worst (which they often did). It was clear Star was being crushed under the weight of her worries and although she tried to stay strong, Marco wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. At this rate, she wouldn’t be ready to face Heinous when the time came and he wished once again that Star would reconsider letting her parents handle it for her. Star, however, wasn’t budging, determined to face this herself, no matter what. A part of Marco admired her for it, finding it brave and heroic but the other part wished she would stop torturing herself this way. She claimed it was to protect the Monsters but Marco believed there was more to it than that, despite the mental toll it was having on her Star needed to overcome this, so she could finally find peace. And as much as Marco hated himself for it, he understood exactly how she felt.

“Whoa, what happened over here?” a voice called out to them, the four turning to see Kelly, carrying an empty tray over to the table, giving them all a suspicious once over. “Seriously, I thought this was supposed to be a party and yet you guys look as if you’re expecting a murder.”

Star and Marco instantly grew uncomfortable at the remark, shifting awkwardly in their seats. While the much more level headed Jackie kept a straight face, beside her Higgs regarding the hairy teen with sharp criticism. “Uh hey, Kelly,” Marco nervously waved, his guilty smile speaking volumes. “We were just-”

“Talking about something personal, don’t mind us,” Jackie pitched in before Marco could stutter out some unbelievable lie that blew their cover.

Kelly’s eyebrow raised skeptically. “Anything I should be worried about?”

“Nope all good,” Star replied, putting on the most believable smile she had in her arsenal, one that Jackie and Marco instantly saw through but luckily it seemed to be enough to convince Kelly.

The girl just shrugged, a relaxed smile lighting up her face. “Good. The last thing we need right now is complications.”

Star swallowed hard, her mask vanishing for just a second but Marco was quick to cut in with a question of his own. “Uh so, Kelly, how’s everything going for you? Do the Monsters like your snacks?”

“They’re called appetizers, Marco,” the Woolett explained, before nodding confidently. “But yeah, they’re a huge success! These Monsters can’t get enough of them! And they’re all super nice too! Way different from serving Mewmans, believe me.” She rolled her eyes at that, causing the others to smile.

“When you’re starved all your life, I guess you learn to appreciate free food,” Star said, making no effort to hide the bitterness there. Kelly picked up on this but didn’t allow her expression to change, holding her ground with the same friendly demeanor that had kicked off this conversation.

“Well whatever the reason, I appreciate the change of pace,” she replied, putting a hand to her hip. “So what’s up with you guys? How come you're hanging out here in the corner like a bunch of weirdos instead of enjoying the party?”

“I would love to but this leg isn’t exactly fit for dancing,” Jackie said, turning so her cast was clearly in Kelly’s view and the Woolett nodded.

“Fair enough. And what about the rest of you? You all got broken legs I don’t know about?”

“We’re just keeping Jackie company,” Star explained.

“Not me, I just hate parties,” Higgs declared, leaning back and resting her legs on the table. “If it weren’t a direct order from Star I would be as far away from here as possible, probably fighting something.”

“Nuh uh, you came because deep down you love us!” Marco brightly declared. Higgs’ cheeks lit up bright red, falling out of her chair in surprise at the sudden declaration. Luckily, her knight instincts kicked in as she rolled with the motion, landing right back on her feet. She coughed once in embarrassment, ignoring all the curious stares on her as she picked up her chair off the floor and sat back down, her head now hanging just a bit lower than before.

“I never said that,” she hissed, before taking a long swig of punch.

The others smiled but said nothing, knowing teasing Higgs would only result in them getting punched and/or threatened. So instead Kelly changed the subject, saying in a vibrant tone, “Gotta say, guys, it looks like your party is a massive success.” Kelly glanced out over the massive cave, the others following her wandering eye, finally seeing the true scope of their little get-together.

Many of the Monsters and Mewmans seemed to have followed their lead, finding a nice, quiet areas off to the side to chat, Star spotting her cousin Rocky engaged in what seemed to be a pleasant conversation with an elephant monster, while others were much more comfortable being the center of attention such as Pony and a squirrel Monster who were each trying to one-up each other in a singing contest. Regardless it seemed everyone was enjoying themselves, many making new friends, such as Alfonso and Ferguson, the latter bragging up his best friend to a group of Monster girls (much to Alfonso’s embarrassment). The dancefloor was packed with eager teens ready to show off their moves, all except one happy couple who were much more interested in each other, Penelope and Slime dancing in perfect unison to each song that filled the dusty cave air. Slime kept a firm grip on Penelope’s waist, while the girl had her slender arms wrapped around her boyfriend’s neck, allowing them to keep an intimate distance as they glided through each fragile note. And through it all, their eyes remained locked, a deep connection seeming to form as their gazes performed a dance of their own. Star and the others smiled as they watched the happy couple sharing their first dance, Marco tearing up a little as he watched Slime dip Penelope low to the ground, the two’s lips meeting for one fleeting moment.

“I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical at first but you really pulled it off. You should be proud,” Kelly continued, the others just watching on in silent contentment.

“Wow, it’s crazy to think a little party was capable of doing all this,” Star said wistfully, stunned at her own success.

“Hey don’t undersell yourself here,” Jackie spoke up, giving her friend a proud smile. “This party was an awesome idea! Everyone just needed a chance to connect and now, thanks to you, they have!”

Star blushed at the compliment, though she was happy to pass on the credit to someone else, saying, “Oh well, actually the credit should go to Marco, it was his idea in the first place.”

Marco’s head jolted upwards, his mouth stuffed with one of Kelly’s appetizers as his eyes darted around the table. He hadn’t been expecting to be called out so suddenly and without thinking responded with a full mouth, “Oh, um, I just saw it in a movie. Star’s the one who did all the work.” A few crumbs flew from his mouth onto his face as he spoke, the group all holding in their laughter.

Star picked up a napkin and wiped away the bits of food from her boyfriend’s cheeks saying brightly, “You deserve just as much credit as me, Marco. None of this would have ever happened without you!”

Marco swallowed before giving his girlfriend an overly-large grin. “Well it’s thanks to you I was able to make such a difference! You helped change my life and now we get to change people’s lives together.”

Star’s hearts thumped once in unison, an affectionate look crossing over her as she leaned in for a kiss from her sweet boyfriend’s lips. But before they could touch, Higgs loudly huffed, the two freezing to the spot as they remembered they weren’t in private. “Okay we get it. You're both great and you're oh so happy together, now can we move on before I end up catching your gross love bug.”

Star frowned at the knight, while Marco just cocked his head to the side in confusion. “What’s that?” he naively asked.

“Something that isn’t real,” Jackie replied, shooting Higgs a scolding glare which the redhead ignored.

“Tell that to your freaky friend. She and her boyfriend can’t seem to stay away from each other,” Higgs retorted in disgust, making an extra point of rolling her eyes.

“Speaking of, where is Jan and Tom?” Jackie searched the crowd of party-goers but didn’t spot either of her friends around.

“I saw them heading deeper into the cave earlier,” Kelly said, pointing vaguely in that direction. “Probably to make out or something.”

“Of course they did,” Jackie said with an annoyed sigh. She had already told Janna to stay close in case something happened and Star needed their help. But as usual, her roommate was doing whatever she wanted. She was gonna have a serious word with her when they got back to the castle.

Marco on the other hand was overjoyed at the news, loudly proclaiming, “Awww that’s so sweet!”

Higgs gagged and rolled her eyes again but otherwise stayed silent.

“Well, I’m glad they’re enjoying themselves,” Star halfheartedly replied. In all honesty, she would have felt much safer to have both Janna and Tom there for protection but she quickly shrugged the nervousness off. She was being ridiculous, they had every right to live their lives and it wasn’t fair of her to deny them that just so she could feel secure. It was ridiculous thinking anyways, it’s not like anyone was gonna find them out there. She was probably safer where she was than in the castle.

Marco suddenly gasped, coming to a sudden realization as his eyes frantically darted around the crowded cave. “But wait, if they went off alone then where are the twins?!”

“Right here!” Daisy and Violet screamed as they popped out from underneath the table, Marco yelping in terror at the sudden surprise. The others jumped but otherwise kept their composure watching the two girls intensely. The twins giggled at their successful prank, giving the hooded teen an apologetic hug to hopefully keep him from scolding them. “Did we get you, big brother?” Daisy asked mischievously.

“Girls, you know better than to scare Marco like that! You could have given him a heart attack!” Star said in a lecturing tone and the two cringed as they realized the one flaw in their otherwise brilliant plan.

“Sorry Star. We just wanted to surprise our big brother!” Violet innocently stated, batting her eyelids at her cousin in hopes of softening her anger.

Star did seem to calm a little, saying in a gentler voice, “Well maybe next time don’t jump out and scare him, okay?”

“Okkkaaaayyy,” the girls agreed in unison, while crossing their fingers out of the teen’s sight.

“How long were you two down there?” Jackie asked curiously. She was surprised they had managed to stay hidden for so long without anyone noticing.

Both girls shrugged, neither seeming to want to answer the question.

Marco, now fully recovering from his scare, smiled down at the twins, excitedly asking them, “So how are you two liking your first party?”

“It’s awesome!” they both exclaimed, Daisy hopping up and down in joy.

“I got to talk to a whole bunch of really cool Monsters!” Violet shouted, her eyes sparkling in joy.

“And everyone complimented my dress,” Daisy proudly stated, twirling so they could all get a good look at the purple evening gown she had worn.

“And the best part is mom isn’t here to tell us what to do!” Violet added, a wicked grin spreading from cheek to cheek as she rubbed her hands together menacingly.

“Hey, not so fast, your mom left me in charge, remember?” Star said with a smirk.

Violet wasn’t unaffected, scoffing to herself and waving the casual threat off. “Yeah but you're not nearly as strict as her.”

“I can be,” Star argued, crossing her arms in front of her chest, raising a challenging eyebrow.

Daisy laughed that off, saying sweetly, “Aw Star, we know you don’t mean it. You’re almost as big a pushover as big brother.”

“Wait, I’m a pushover!” Marco gasped, looking around at his friends for conformation and to his disappointment they all nodded. He shrunk in his seat, staring glumly down at his half-eaten plate, Star sliding an arm around him and cooing softly in his ear. “Aw, it’s okay, Marco. We all love you just the way you are!”

Marco smiled back, his spirits slightly lifted and he leaned his head against Star in thanks. The blonde’s face lit up red but she managed to keep her cool as she patted him once on the head.

While the others were all collectively holding in their squeals over the happy couple, Daisy’s attention was diverted to Marco’s hoodie pocket, something glowing and buzzing within. She leaned in closer, blinking in curiosity before asking, “Hey, Marco, what’s up with your phone?”

“Huh?” Marco said, sitting up and pulling his phone out from the depths of his hoodie. He could see the tiny display reading ‘missed calls’ and frowned, clicking on the tab. Who was calling him? Buff Frog and the Monsters should have been busy with a mission and everyone else was present and accounted for. But as the name lit up on his screen his eyes widened in realization, muttering to himself, “Oh, it was Dennis.”

#star vs #star vs au #my writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #starco #jantom #spiderslime #preview

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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This was really incredible!!! Good work friend!

So happy this is done!! ^^

#amphibia #amphibia fanwork #brb-screaming-over-amphibia #awesome job!#please go check it out guys!!#it'll break you and put you back together #my favorite!

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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The Light of Dawn Chapter 4: Outside

Summary: A prequel series to “Light of the Sun and Stars” following Marco’s childhood being raised by monsters. Witness the dawn of Mewni’s brightest burning sun.

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

What was out there?

This was the question Marco had been asking himself for most of his life. What existed beyond the dark and dingy walls of Toffee’s castle? He had heard stories about Mewni, had silently watched it through his window for fourteen years, but in reality he knew so little about the dimension he called home. Of course that wasn’t for lack of trying, he had begged Buff Frog to let him go on one of their missions many times, always resulting in a firm scolding and sometimes grounding from Toffee, who seemed determined to keep Marco stuck inside forever. He would interrogate the monsters any chance he got about Mewni, trying to learn as much about the world as he could but even that proved too much for Toffee’s liking. Buff Frog was the only monster who was willing to share any information about the world outside, the others too afraid to incite Toffee’s wrath, but even his dad was unable to answer every question Marco had.

So that just left him to wistfully staring out the windows, dreaming of a day when he could finally leave this suffocating place and finally get to experience the world beyond the four square walls he was confined to. There were many times Marco had considered sneaking out on his own but always changed his mind at the last second. Toffee had warned him how dangerous it could be out there and the last thing he wanted was to give the monster leader another reason to dislike him. Normally Marco was a very obedient kid, always following the rules, doing as he was told, and never trying to step out of line or cause his family in trouble. But something about the world beyond was getting to him. He longed to be a part of it, to understand it. It was no longer a want, it was a need. He needed to know.

And so Marco decided. He couldn't wait any longer, he had to go outside, even if it went against everything he was taught, even if there was something dangerous lurking out there, even if he got caught, he needed to know.

At first Marco considered sneaking out the gate but there was always someone guarding it. Then he considered hiding in a bag or something and having the monsters unintentionally bring him with them on their next mission, but he couldn't find a bag big enough to fit in. Next, he schemed to "borrow" a pair of dimensional scissors but the only monsters who owned one were Toffee and Buff Frog, neither of which Marco wanted to be caught by but for very different reasons.

It seemed there was no way for Marco to get out of the castle without getting caught, so he did what he normally did when he was hungry for answers or adventure, he stared out the window longingly, imagining himself outside enjoying the sunshine. He saw a couple of birds flying around and wished he could be amongst them, sighing in disappointment, pressing his head against the window pane. He watched the birds fly back and forth for a bit, moving in perfect sync with each other, before landing on a branch of a nearby tree. Marco watched as the two groomed each other, putting a hand on the glass, wishing he could reach out and touch them.

That’s when he was struck with inspiration. The window. How had he not thought of it before? There was a tree right next to the window, close enough that with some effort Marco could theoretically climb onto it. He could actually leave the castle!

Marco smiled ear to ear, his eyes shining with excitement and his cheekmarks spinning in joy. He eagerly gripped the bottom of the window, only to stop, worried someone might be watching. He checked left, then right, then left again but the hallway was thankfully empty. The monsters were out on a mission, only Potato Baby and Spike Balls left to watch over the castle and luckily they tended to nap all through their posts, which meant Marco was home free!

He enthusiastically threw open the window, startling the birds and sending them fluttering away from him but Marco didn’t care. A fresh breeze washed over Marco’s face, tickling his skin and he gasped in delight. He was feeling the wind! The wind from outside! It felt so good on his face! He remembered one summer when the monsters had opened the windows to try and fight the heat and Marco had spent every waking second perched next to it, just enjoying the breeze it provided.

He took in a deep breath, the smell of dirt and leaves filling his nostrils. It all smelt so good! He needed to have more! He greedily took in the various smells of nature, letting them fill his lungs before reluctantly releasing them back into the wild. He could hear the wind blowing through the leaves, the gentle chirps of birds going about their day, all sounding like music to his deprived ears.

But he was far from done, his senses hadn’t had nearly enough yet as he tenderly reached out and touched the rough bark with the tip of his finger. It was a new sensation for sure and he couldn't contain himself as he leaned precariously out the window, now gripping the branch fully in his hand. The jagged texture felt so interesting to Marco and he absentmindedly reached out and grabbed the branch with his other hand.

This proved to be his undoing as the shift in weight caused him to slip out the window, Marco screaming in terror and holding onto the branch for dear life. His body now dangled from the tree, his feet swaying gently in the air. Marco didn't dare look down, clenching his eyes shut tight as he tried to pull himself up using his weak muscles. He wasn't strong enough and worse he could feel his grip loosening, his arm starting to ache from strain. The boy knew he wasn't going to last long, so he gingerly peeked open an eye, noticing the trunk right next to him.

He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, before reaching out a foot, managing to lean it against the trunk. With a loud grunt Marco pushed himself up, using the trunk for leverage, managing to climb onto the branch, panting and sweating from both exertion and fear. He now had the branch in a deathgrip, his entire body pressed tightly against it, finding relative safety to have something beneath him once more. His eyes were clenched shut, feeling a heavy hammering in his chest that did nothing to calm his frazzled nerves.

But as the minutes passed, so too did the fear. He felt another cool breeze wash over him, bringing him a surprising amount of comfort and he was able to relax enough to pick up on new sensations. He could smell the subtle scent of tree sap, could feel the rough bark digging into his cheek, could hear the peaceful sounds of chirping birds, and with each new sensation a bit more calm washed over him, until finally he decided to risk a look down.

After the near fall Marco had been expecting himself to be hundreds- no thousands- of feet in the air, but instead there was maybe ten feet separating Marco from the ground and he sighed in relief. Falling would still be painful but probably not deadly. This helped rebuild his courage as he shimmed closer to the trunk of the tree, judging the distance to the closest branch, which just so happened to be right below him. It wasn’t that far and he very carefully tested a few times to make sure his foot could reach. He swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the branch once more before he steeled his nerves and slid off the branch, landing gracefully onto the one below. For a moment the branch swayed up and down, every little movement causing Marco’s heart to pound in his chest, making him fear he was about to die of a heart attack.

But the branch held and soon steadied, leaving Marco free to breathe again. He leaned against the tree trunk, hand over heart as he gasped for air, trying to steady his racing nerves. This was way more stressful than he had been expecting. Except for some reason, the stress felt good? He didn’t know how to explain it. It was like every time he thought he was in danger only to find some way out filled him with joy? Excitement? Marco wasn’t sure if there was a word for it but he liked it. He didn’t think his heart had ever beat this fast before, he was never allowed to do anything remotely dangerous, sometimes it didn’t feel like he was allowed to do anything at all. So despite the scares, Marco was somehow still enjoying himself.

He didn’t let that enjoyment go to waste either as he continued to scale his way down the tree, sometimes taking his time to test out unstable looking branches, other times taking a pure leap of faith and jumping to the next one without so much as a second glance. One branch made a cracking sound but other than that remained silent and Marco once more felt a rush of pleasure, a sensation he still didn’t quite understand.

Finally, he made it to the ground plopping down hard onto the soft grass, his breaths coming out in heavy pants. His fingers were tangled deep in the long grass below him, tickling his skin with every gust of wind that brushed past. Slowly the boy’s pants turned into small chuckles which steadily grew in pace until he was howling with laughter, collapsing onto his back as the chuckles continued to burst from his chest. Soon his stomach was aching, tears streaming down his face and yet the laughter continued, each one deep and powerful as Marco’s whole body shook, somehow feeling both upliftingly light and unbearably heavy at once. Eventually, Marco was able to get a hold of his violent mood swings, just staring up at the sky in contentment. He could see a few clouds floating though the bright pink sky, a few birds soaring overhead and Marco let out the deepest sigh in his life.

Was this how it felt to be free? He felt so light, like a cloud gently drifting through the wind and he wondered if a strong enough breeze could blow him away. When was the last time he felt like this? There was no pressure, no worry, no guilt. It was just him. Marco breathed in deep, catching a hint of a flower, the scent carried to him through the wind. The grass was so soft underneath him, he wished he could just lay there for hours, maybe even fall asleep in this spot, watching as the night sky lit up with thousands of stars. He had read about that in books but had never seen it himself. Marco was expected back in his room before sunset, so sadly he had never gotten a chance to stargaze before. He imagined it was beautiful though, thousands of twinkling diamonds shining overhead. If only he could stay out until nightfall.

Marco reached up towards the sky, trying to cup one of the clouds in his hand, squinting to try and create the illusion. It took a moment but he was able to get the effect he wanted, making it look as if he was holding a cloud. The boy smiled before fully closing one eye, pretending to push the cloud across the sky, helping it along on its journey high above. Clouds were so lucky, Marco decided. They got to see all of Mewni, passing by it from way up high. How much had this cloud already seen? How many other Mewmans had it passed on its long trek through the atmosphere? How much more would it see? Was some Mewman looking up at the sky right then and playing with the cloud alongside him? What was their life like? Did they long to be free, too?

Marco closed his eyes, letting the thoughts drift away like the wind. He didn’t want to think about all that, thinking was for when he was bored in his room, right now he just wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as he could. So he reopened his eyes and just watched the clouds float by, trying to memorize every detail of this extraordinary moment.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he heard his name being called, but instantly all the worry and guilt came crashing back onto him. Marco gasped, looking around wildly for some place to hide, his mind too panicked to think. He hopped to his feet, running back and forth for a moment, essentially going nowhere, as his indecisive mind refused to let him commit to any one idea. He heard his name again this time much clearer and quickly dove behind the tree, crouching as low as he could and trying to cover as much of his face as he possible. As he waited with baited breath, it suddenly occurred to him he had left the window open.

No, no, they couldn’t find the window! If they found that they would know Marco had snuck out of sure! And then they would tell Toffee and then the lizard monster would probably ground Marco for life! He’d never be allowed to leave his room again! Heck, he might never be allowed to leave his bed again! He had to stop them!

So gathering the little courage he had in his body, Marco sucked in a deep breathe and jumped up to the closest branch above. With strength he didn’t even know existed he pulled himself up, not even taking a second to catch his breath before hopping to the next one. He quickly scaled the tree, climbing at a pace that was neither careful nor wise, his only focus on getting to the window before the monsters. Marco’s breathing started to get labored, his arms aching from overuse but still he pushed through, his adrenaline fueling him through the pain. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest it actually hurt and his arms felt like they were turning to liquid but for some reason he enjoyed the feeling, such a rare and new experience that it brought out something Marco didn’t even know existed. Despite the aches and pains he felt alive! Like for the first time his body was getting pushed to limits he hadn’t even known had been placed on him and he wished he could test them more.

But sadly, he reached the window before he could discover anymore, hauling himself inside and slamming it shut, leaning heavily against the seal as he gasped for breath, his body hot and covered in sweat but he still smiled nonetheless. He hadn’t even known he was capable of something like that, maybe he wasn’t as weak as Toffee said he was? Maybe if he could somehow get stronger he could-

“Marco!” an angry but relieved voice yelled, startling the boy out of his thoughts and sending him sprawling backwards in surprise. He turned to face the voice, his heart sinking as he saw the frowning faces of Spike Balls and Potato Baby, both looking at him with disapproval and disappointment. “We’ve been calling you for at least half an hour?! Why didn’t you answer us?! And where have you been? We couldn’t find you anywhere!”

Marco swallowed hard, trying to think of a quick explanation for all this, his brain struggling to form any good lie. “Ummmmmm… I was…”

Potato Baby quickly cut in with a few grumbles, Marco biting his lip in shame.

“W-Well you startled me, of course I would be breathing heavily, right?” He smiled far too widely to be real, only adding to the monsters suspicion.

“Is that… a leaf in your hair?” Spike Balls asked, squinting as he stared at the tiny leaf.

Marco panicked, quickly brushing a hand through his hair wildly, knocking the leaf onto the floor. Potato Baby bent down and picked it up, examining it closely, Spike Balls just watching with a worried expression.

“Ummm, it’s-it’s not what you think,” Marco defensively mumbled, nervously running a hand up and down his arm, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than them.

The two shared a look before Spike Balls asked seriously, “Marco, did you go outside?”

“No!” Marco immediately shouted, before trying to back up this claim with a different explanation, his brain scrambling to come up with any good lie. “Ummm… that is… I was, um, standing here and the window, um, blew open on it’s own and then-”

“What’s going on here?” the stern voice of Buff Frog interrupted, tailed by the rest of his monster allies, slowly approaching the three until his eyes landing on Marco and the boy quickly lowered his gaze to the floor. This was it, he had been caught. Who knew what punishment was awaiting him.

“We found Marco hanging out by this window, Buff Frog,” Spike Balls explained and Marco was sure he was gonna burst into tears right there. “He was acting suspicious and he had this leaf in his hair.” Potato Baby handed over the leaf, the amphibian examining it closely. There was a short moment of silence, Marco holding his breath as he awaited his punishment. There was no way he was getting out of this unpunished. He just hoped it wouldn’t be anything too bad.

Marco risked a glance up, instantly regretting it as he met Buff Frog's eye and he quickly shifted his focus to the floor again. Only in his haste he hadn't realized there was no anger or disappointment in his dad's glance, instead something soft and gentle had been present, which was then reflected in his voice as Buff Frog said, “Marco, did you find window I left open this morning?”

The boy froze at that, unable to believe what he was hearing. Was Buff Frog really remembering things wrong? That didn’t sound like his dad but the boy jumped at any explanation he could grasp, hope returning to his chest as he dared to believe he might actually be able to get away with his crime. “Ummm, y-yeah. It was open so I…” the boy’s voice trailed off but for whatever reason Buff Frog just nodded.

“Da, as I thought,” the frog monster said, his tone light and casual. “Castle was hot today so opened window before leaving. Marco must have seen and closed it.”

Marco blinked, unsure what his dad was doing. Was he… lying? The boy squinted suspiciously, trying to see through to his dad’s true intentions but before he could Buff Frog abruptly changed the subject. “Since that all settled, let’s go get dinner. It was long day for us all.”

“Now you’re talking!” Lobster Claws exclaimed, his mouth already starting to water at the mere suggestion, hungrily rubbing at his stomach. “I’m starving!”

The others were quick to agree, all nodding and mumbling in agreement. But at the very back of the group, one monster looked far from satisfied, his piercing eyes glaring deep into his right-hand monster. Toffee’s eyes narrowed as the group started towards the kitchen, his icy gaze burning into Marco’s back, the boy subconsciously shuddering for a moment. The lizard didn’t follow, waiting until the group was gone before stepping forward and picking up the fallen leaf, holding it up to examine.

So it seemed little Marco was getting ideas again, only now he was getting bold enough to act on them. He would need to keep a very close eye on the boy for a while, see if his small act of rebellion was dangerous or not. And if it was well…

Toffee crushed the leaf in his palm, letting its broken remains drift to the floor. Then the lizard monster boredly turned away, heading off to his room to scheme, his sinister mind racing with dark ideas.

#Star vs #Star vs Au #my writing #the light of dawn #light of the sun and stars #Kid!Marco #Buff Dad

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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hey thanks for this! This was exactly the push I needed!

If you're reading this...

go write three sentences on your current writing project.

#writing #gotta get that story written haha #I see instructions and I obey!#hey if you see this maybe you try and do it too!#three sentences isn't that much #but every little bit helps

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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The Light of Dawn Chapter 3: Red

Summary: A prequel series to “Light of the Sun and Stars” following Marco’s childhood being raised by monsters. Witness the dawn of Mewni’s brightest burning sun.

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

Marco giggled from his ingenious hiding spot, tucked away behind a dark red curtain, listening intently for any signs of life just in case he was no longer alone. This had to be his best idea yet. Since his monster family always looked so exhausted when they got home Marco had taken it upon himself to do little things to cheer them up, like hanging up pictures that welcomed them back or giving them each a welcome home hug or trying to make them a cake (too bad Master Toffee had forbidden it).

Today though, while trying to think up a new idea, he had been struck with pure inspiration, he was gonna surprise them by hiding himself. Marco had been giddy as he spent the rest of his afternoon putting his plan into action. First he had needed a hiding spot and had scoured the castle (save for Master Toffee’s room) in search of the perfect one. The monsters usually came in from the “greeting room” endearingly named since Marco had a habit of waiting there for them. And since he didn't want to scare them and make them think he had run off, he figured that would be the best place to enact his plan.

The problem was there were no good hiding places in there, the room was bare save for a painting of some famous mountain and a rug. The painting was definitely out and when Marco tried the rug it was too small, his legs a dead giveaway to an otherwise brilliant hiding spot.

Luckily he came up with a good solution, pulling one of the curtains down from the hall and hanging it in the greeting room. It had taken nearly an hour to get it up, Marco needing to snag a chair and stack a mountain of books on top just to be able to reach high enough to hang the curtain, but once it was up the long waiting had begun. Of course Marco barely noticed, he was used to boredom and thanks to his excitement time seemed to pass more smoothly than normal.

Finally, Marco heard the clear sound of a portal being cut open and he held back a gasp, not wanting to make too much sound and give himself away. Still he was practically shaking with anticipation, eager to put his plan into action. He listened intently to the sounds of shuffling feet, followed by the tired voices of his monster family. Marco stifled a giggle, slapping a hand over his mouth as he fought back the urge to spring out right then and surprise them. Instead he decided it better to remain in stealth mode and wait for just the right moment to reveal himself.

“I’m telling you that mission could not have gone worse,” a very exhausted Bearicorn continued as he emerged from the portal.

“And I keep telling you, there was no other way,” Beard Deer replied with a grumble. Clearly the two had been arguing for a while about whatever it was.

“Only becauzze Zzpike Ballzz revealed himzzelf way too zzoon,” Boo Fly snapped, shifting the blame to a new monster.”

“Sorry guys, I thought that hiding spot was gonna work,” a guilty Spike Balls piped up.

“No, don’t apologize,” Lobster Claws whiny voice cut in. “You wouldn’t have had to hide behind that fence post if someone hadn’t taken the good hiding spot for himself!”

“Hey, watch your tone, idiot!” Beard Deer snapped defensively. “At least I didn’t draw so much attention to us in the first place!”

“I sneezed! You can’t blame me for sneezing!” Lobster Claws shouted, Potato Baby adding a few incoherent grumbles in defense.

“Enough,” Buff Frog said with a massive sigh, he sounded so tired, more tired than Marco had ever heard. “Is already done. No going back now.”

“What’s Master Toffee gonna say?” Bearicorn asked nervously.

“I deal with Toffee,” Buff Frog replied, some power returning to his tone through the exhaustion. Marco realized they were all about to leave the room, meaning if he didn’t act now he would miss his chance. “You all get cleaned up before-”

“Surprise!” Marco shouted, jumping out from behind the curtain, sending all the monsters reeling back in fear. Every eye turned to the small, grinning child as the surprise quickly melted away into realization.

“Marco!” they all shouted at once.

“Hey guys, did I scare you?!” the boy said giggling, his joy unable to be contained as he bounced on the back of his heels. “I was waiting soooo long for you to get back!” However, his delight turned to curiosity as he finally noticed the red covering each and every one of his family members. There was red everywhere, their footprints leaving red stains on the ground, their body and clothes soaked in the color and their faces had contorted into some suppressed emotion Marco couldn’t name. Some even tried to hide from Marco’s eye, shuffling behind their fellow monster as if that would someone cover the red dripping from their bodies. “Hey, what is that stuff?” Marco asked, innocently cocking his head to the side.

The monsters flinched, turning to Buff Frog for help, his face blank and unreadable. His eyes met Marco’s and the boy was sure he saw a flash of some painful emotion before it was buried behind indifference. “Is nothing important,” his dad replied.

Marco frowned. “Then why are you all covered in it?”

Buff Frog paused, steadying his breath. “Was simple accident, not of any concern.”

“But what is it?” Marco asked, feeling frustrated that he was having to repeat himself. Normally his dad understood him better than this.

The monsters all looked nervously at their leader, waiting for his answer. The room was so quiet Marco could have heard a pin drop. What was the big deal, it was just a color, right?

“Is something I tell you when older,” Buff Frog finally replied, heading for the door.

“Awwww but dad I wanna know now!” Marco whined, chasing after his frog father. “Why can’t you tell me?!”

“Because don’t need to know yet,” came the stern reply from his dad and the boy sighed. He knew not to push it, he had learned that lesson many times before with Master Toffee. He had been grounded one too many times for asking too many questions. Normally though his dad at least indulged in his curious ways but for some reason this strange color was not something his dad was willing to open up about. So instead, Marco decided it best to drop it, before Toffee found out he was being disobedient again.

“Okay…” Marco mumbled, looking none too happy about giving up so easily. “But promise you’ll tell me when I’m older?”

Buff Frog swallowed hard, again another uncomfortable look flashing across his face. “Promise.”

That was enough for Marco as his enthusiasm returned in full force, smiling as if he hadn’t been devastated a moment ago. “It’s a pretty color though, whatever it is. I really like red.”

The others cringed but Buff Frog kept a straight face. “Is that so? Is your favorite color?”

Marco thought about that for a second before nodding. “Yep! It is.”

“Well maybe I can get something red for next birthday,” Buff Frog replied.

Marco smiled and exclaimed, “That would be great! Maybe even something to wear! Everything I have right now is just gray and white.”

“What would you like?”

“Hmmmm.” Marco thought long and hard about his answer. “I don’t know, just something red.”

“I see what I can do.” Marco squealed in delight, quickly following after his dad as he stepped out of the greeting room. The two walked side by side together down the hallway, the boy excitedly telling his dad more about his favorite color.

“When I grow up I want to have nothing but red. Red everything! Red walls, red clothes, red food! Red everywhere!”

“Sounds good, Marco,” Buff Frog said gently, the boy too caught up in his own fantasies to notice the sad look in his dad’s eye or the clenching of his blood-red fists as they continued down the hall, the monster leaving a trail of red footsteps in his wake.

#star vs #star vs au #my writing #the light of dawn #light of the sun and stars #Kid!Marco #Buff Dad

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

Text

The Light of Dawn Chapter 2: Family?

Summary: A prequel series to “Light of the Sun and Stars” following Marco’s childhood being raised by monsters. Witness the dawn of Mewni’s brightest burning sun.

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

Marco hummed a little tune out loud as he scribbled colored lines all over the paper. He lay on the floor, his tiny feet kicking the air while his hands worked expertly on the work of art he was crafting. He needed to finish it quickly, Buff Frog would be home any minute now. Although Marco’s 6-year-old mind was not the best at telling time, he had learned that Buff Frog usually came home right before supper, his growling stomach a signal that his dad was most likely on the way. It wasn’t exact, whatever he and the other monsters "missions" were could range on how long they would take. Sometimes Buff Frog would even be gone for a few days at a time but that was rare. Still, Marco liked the idea of knowing how long he would have to wait before seeing his dad and so guessing was better than nothing.

Marco set down his crayon, before searching through the rest for the appropriate color. Since Marco was in his room a lot (especially when Toffee was around) the boy found coloring a fun way to pass the time. His small hand landed on a bright yellow color and he smiled to himself, thinking it was the perfect color for Big Chicken’s beak. He stuck his tongue out as he drew a perfect beak, concentrating so he got the angle just right. Finally, he was done.

Marco sat up to admire his drawing, staring at it critically for a second before nodding in satisfaction. It was perfect. He quickly scooped up his crayons and put them back in their box, as well as picking up the few toys Marco had and putting them back in the small toy chest. Toffee expected Marco’s room to remain neat and tidy and he really didn’t want to get scolded today. Once he was finished, all that was left to do was to wait for Buff Frog to get home, the boy passing the time by staring proudly at the picture he drew.

He didn’t have to wait long.

The small knock on Marco’s door caused an eager grin to spread on the small Mewman’s face, making his twin suns glow brightly. He hopped off the floor running over and throwing the door open excitedly. His dad stood there before him, smiling down at his son. "Hello my little Marco," Buff Frog greeted, bending down so he could wrap his arms around his precious child.

"Daddy!" Marco screamed, leaping into his father's arms, relishing the safety he felt as his dad held him close. "You’re home!"

"Yes, I'm home," Buff Frog said with a great sigh of relief, the horrors of the day slowly fading from his mind as he held his Marco close. This was the only thing that kept him going as he committed more and more atrocities under Toffee’s cruel rule, everyday a new sin was etched into his blood-stained soul. But these small moments with his adopted child helped keep him sane.

The hug lasted a little too long, as they so often did, neither father nor son wanting it to end. These were the moments Marco waited all day for, when it was just him and his dad. Despite always trying to keep himself busy to fill the endless hours of boredom and loneliness whenever the monsters were away, these were the times when Marco truly felt alive. He only wished their time together could last longer, he missed his dad so much when he was out doing “missions” that some days it actually hurt.

Finally, Buff Frog ended the hug, tucking his beefy arm under Marco so he could carry him over to his bed, speaking to him softly along the way. “So how was day, Marco?” he asked, just like he always did when he got home.

“It was good!” Marco said with a wide smile, eager to tell his dad all about his rather uneventful day. “I saw another bird outside the window in the hall. It was red! I tried to draw a picture of it but I couldn’t get the beak right. Oh and I did all the reading you told me to do, even the really hard one. Oh, oh, and Bearicorn made corn soup for lunch and he let me have an extra spoonful because he knows it’s my favorite.”

“Sounds like you had good day,” Buff Frog commented, setting his son down on the worn mattress before taking his place beside him.

“Yeah, I guess so,” the boy said with a small shrug of his shoulders. In all honesty he was making it more exciting than it really was. He still spent quite a bit of his time staring up at the ceiling and imagining doing anything else, usually by putting himself in one of the stories in his picture books. But he didn’t want his dad to feel bad so he kept that to himself. But then he remembered something else he had been excited to show his dad and his face lit up with joy. “Oh and I drew something for you!” he exclaimed, hopping off the bed and running over to his messy pile of papers, snatching one up off the top. He raced back over to the bed, eagerly holding it up so his dad could see.

Buff Frog studied the picture closely, making sure to keep an enthusiastic smile on his face as he did. It was a picture of Marco and the monsters, each drawn with an impressive amount of detail for crayon. Marco stood in the middle with Buff Frog next to him, holding his hand. The rest of the monsters were gathered around father and son, Beard Deer, Bearicorn, Lobster Claws, Boo Fly, Spike Balls, they were all present and accounted for, each and everyone of them drawn with a big smile on their faces.

It was clear just from looking at it that Marco had spent quite a lot of time drawing it, the frog monster impressed with his son’s patience, especially at that age. He was glad he had gotten the coloring set for Marco since the boy seemed to enjoy getting to create, always having some new little doodle to show his dad each time he came home. Usually it was just a small, crude sketch of whatever had peaked Marco’s interest that day but this was on a whole other level. Just like with reading and writing, it seemed Marco had picked up on that talent fast. Buff Frog suspected it had something to do with his Trait but he couldn’t be sure, Toffee had forbade him from looking into Marco’s magical ability or even explaining it to his son, so all he could do was guess.

“Is very good, Marco,” Buff Frog said encouragingly, patting his kid gently on the back.

“Really! You think so?!” Marco exclaimed, a proud look on his face.

Buff Frog nodded. “Da! Is best picture I ever seen!” He took the drawing from the boy’s hands before holding it up to the light, nodding his head in admiration. “You did very good, my son.”

“Do you think the others will like it too?” Marco asked, hopefully.

“I think they love it,” Buff Frog replied, putting a hand on the child’s shoulder.

The smile faded some as Marco asked hesitantly, “Y-You don’t think Master Toffee will be mad?”

Buff Frog frowned, instantly on edge as the lizard’s name was mentioned. “Why would he be mad?”

Marco tapped his fingers together nervously, not meeting his dad’s eye. “Um, well, I kinda didn’t include him in the picture.” The boy bit his lip, trying to hold back guilty tears.

Buff Frog glanced back at the paper and sure enough Toffee was nowhere to be found. “Oh, I see.”

“B-But I tried to add him,” Marco quickly explained as if he had just done something horribly wrong. “It’s just that Master Toffee never smiles and all the others were smiling so it looked… weird. I mean, I know he’s technically my family but he just didn’t fit right… Please don’t tell him. He might get mad at me and-”

“Marco,” Buff Frog gently interrupted, stopping the boy’s rambling thoughts, Marco gasping a few times for breath. The frog monster had caught it just in time, recognizing the clear signs of a panic attack. They didn’t happen very often but once they started they were very difficult to stop.

It hurt Buff Frog to see his son this way, to see the effect the lizard’s cold, uncaring nature had on his precious child. Marco was such a kind, loving soul, just like his parents, and yet somehow those attributes only seeming to drive Toffee further away from the child, instead of bring him closer like the others. No matter what Marco did or how much effort he gave, Toffee had no love to spare him, a reality it seemed Marco was finally starting to come to terms with. He wished he could explain it to his son that it wasn’t his fault, that Toffee was incapable of love, that the only thing in the lizard’s heart was hatred and bitterness. But he couldn’t say those things, so he instead took a deep breath and said, "Is okay, my son. I know Toffee isn't kind to you, of course not want him in picture."

"But should I put him in?" Marco asked, twiddling his fingers nervously.

"Do you want him to be?"

Marco glumly shook his head.

"Then don't," Buff Frog replied simply.

Marco started to relax thanks to his father's reassurance, his muscles untensing and his breathing slowing to a normal pace. The boy slid onto his dad's lap, laying his head against the frog's strong chest, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Do you think Toffee could ever like me, like the other monsters do?"

Buff Frog paused at that, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t crush his young child’s soul. “I think… Toffee is not type to care about others.” He put his massive claws on the small of Marco’s back, holding the boy close, trying to show him the love and protection Toffee could never offer, even knowing it would never make up for the heartache the lizard caused. “Has very different view of world. And because of view, he can't see how special you are."

"Then maybe I could do something to show him?" Marco said, a fragile hope building inside him and Buff Frog hesitated, knowing he had to choose his next sentence carefully.

“As sad as is, love not something you can force, Marco. Must be careful who to give it too, otherwise it not always come back."

"Sooo, that's a no?" Marco said with a sullen frown, crossing his arms and puffing his cheeks cutely in the process.

Buff Frog sighed, putting a claw on his child’s head. “Am very sorry, Marco. Know you want him to love you but is nothing you can do. This something Toffee has done to self.” He could see the guilt in Marco’s eyes and quickly added, "Is not your fault, my son. I do not believe Toffee is capable of love for anything or anyone." The last sentence was practically a growl, full of irritation and resentment at the monster who had caused him and his son so much pain.

Marco nodded sadly, still conflicted on his feelings for the monster leader. But he pushed that aside as a tiny hint of a smile forming on his face. "Nah, there's one thing Master Toffee loves…” he began matter-of-factly. “... he loves bossing everyone around.”

A laugh burst from Buff Frog’s cheset at that, holding his child in a tight hug while Marco just giggled proudly at his successful joke, the suns on his cheeks glowing brightly. “Da is one true love,” Buff Frog agreed, causing Marco to laugh harder, until there were tears in his eyes. The amphibian smiled warmly down him, happy and content just to have his little Marco near. “Would you like to show others picture you drew?” Buff Frog asked, once he was sure the chuckles were beginning to die down.

“Yeah!” Marco exclaimed, hopping off his dad’s lap and racing from the room, not bothering to wait for his dad to follow.

Buff Frog just sat there a moment, his gaze drifting from the door then back to the doodle his son had drawn, a frown slowly breaking through his otherwise calm demeanor. Marco’s words circled in his head a moment and his grip slowly tightened on the drawing, crumpling it in his claws. He wished things could be different, that Marco didn’t have to worry about such things, didn’t have to doubt who his family really was. But knowing Toffee, he had no doubt there would be repercussions if he did say such things. Buff Frog wondered if this was a part of Toffee’s plan, if he was trying to make Marco question his place there, he certainly wouldn’t put it past the cruel lizard.

“Dad, come on!” Marco screamed, running back to peek his head in the door before racing off down the hallway again. The frog monster snapped back to reality, shaking his head back and forth, finally able to swallow back the anger that had slowly been building up inside him. He folded up the picture and tucked it away in his pocket, his resolve finally renewed as he stood from the bed. As much as it killed him, Buff Frog had no choice but to continue playing this part Toffee had made for him. He would just have to work harder to keep his son away from whatever mindgames Toffee was trying to trap him in. He would just keep reminding Marco who his real family was until there was no doubt in his mind who’s love really mattered.

Buff Frog paused at the door, glancing back one last time at his son’s bare bedroom, before another eager call summoned him from the room. With that, the frog monster flicked off the light and followed after his son.

#star vs #star vs au #my writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #the light of dawn #Kid!Marco #Buff Dad

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

Text

The Light of Dawn Chapter 1: Aftermath

Summary: A prequel series to "Light of the Sun and Stars" following Marco's childhood being raised by monsters. Witness the dawn of Mewni's brightest burning sun.

A/N: This chapter is a continuation of the Prologue for "Light of the Sun and Stars" and contains spoilers for Chapter 21.

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

"Where are they?" a concerned Beard Deer asked, watching the gates outside the castle closely for any signs of life. It had been almost two hours and they still had not returned.

"Maybe they went for a walk," Bearicorn suggested awkwardly.

"This late?" Beard Deer returned with a skeptical glance.

“It could happen, you don’t know,” Bearicorn mumbled halfheartedly, barely believing it himself.

“I still say they're battling to the death, y’know to figure out who’s gonna be leader,” Lobster Claws pitched in and Beard Deer rolled his eyes.

“They aren’t battling to the death, idiot,” Beard Deer growled. He was really fed up with this moron Buff Frog had hired. Actually most of the monsters he worked with were morons. He was the only one specifically chosen by Toffee and it seemed like that meant he was the only one with a brain cell. What had Buff Frog been thinking when he let this group of losers in? “And besides, the leader has already been decided, remember? Toffee’s in charge, end of story.”

Lobster Claws was not deterred by this logic, instead continuing with his conspiracy theory much to the annoyance of the others. “Yeah but say the two had a pair of pistols and stood back to back and then-”

“Would you knock it off! They aren’t killing each other!” Beard Deer screamed.

“And who exactly isn’t killing who, Beard Deer?” a slithering voice suddenly said, causing the three monsters’ skin to crawl, the group immediately turning on their heels to see their new leader standing before them with a blank but still intimidating stare.

“Oh Master Toffee, w-we didn’t hear you get back,” Beard Deer exclaimed as he and the others quickly saluted their leader.

“Yes, well, I’m not surprised since arguing was far more important to you than doing your job correctly,” Toffee said in a cold and condescending monotone, brushing away a speck of dirt from his otherwise spotless suit. Quite an odd choice for a walk into the woods but none of the monsters would dare mention that to their new boss.

“Now then, since I have your attention, there is something I’d like to discuss with you three,” Toffee continued, smoothing down any wrinkles in his suit and combing a claw through his hair. “There are going to be a few changes around here that I’d like you to be made aware of.”

All three monsters swallowed hard. It wasn’t difficult to guess what that meant. Toffee was a very difficult monster to please and ever since joining his ranks all three monsters had been struggling to live up to his high standards. This latest incident just might have collectively lost all of their jobs. “W-What do ya mean?” Lobster Claws asked, shaking in fear.

Toffee sighed dramatically, putting a claw to his forehead. “Please don’t get hysterical, Lobster Claws. If I was going to fire you I would have already done so long before now.”

Lobster Claws shifted awkwardly on his feet, clearly embarrassed Toffee had seen through his fears with such ease, while the others just stared at their leader in confusion. “Then, what’s this about?” Bearicorn asked, rather bluntly.

Toffee opened his mouth to answer only to be cut off by a voice behind him. “We have new member.”

The three monsters peeked around their boss to get a good look at Buff Frog, his body covered in soot and ash, holding a small bundle of something in his arms. The look on his face was grim, doing everything in his power to ignore the piercing gaze of Toffee.

“I-Is that… a baby?!” Lobster Claws screamed. The monster was immediately rewarded with loud crying from the small bundle of blankets in Buff Frog’s arms, which was now squirming in his grip. The frog monster began rocking him gently in his arms, trying to soothe his cries.

“Yes, it is,” Toffee replied, just a bit of venom seeping from his tone.

“What the heck are you doing with a baby, Buff Frog?” Beard Deer asked, confused and concerned in equal measures.

“We didn’t even know you had a girlfriend, much less a kid!” Lobster Claws added in shock.

Buff Frog gave them a deadpanned stare. “Is not mine.”

“Oh… then what are you doing with it?” the lobster monster asked, scratching his head with his claw.

Now it was Toffee’s turn to cut in, turning to them dramatically and saying in a deeply saddened tone, “I’m sorry to say a great tragedy has befallen us on this night, gentlemen. For you see, dear Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, our most trusted allies, are dead.” The three monsters gasped, a look of horror on all of their faces, looking over to Buff Frog for confirmation, but he simply stared at the ground, trying to hide the pain in his eyes.

“B-But h-how?” Bearicorn asked, looking between Toffee and Buff Frog for answers.

“It would seem their house burned to the ground. A tragedy to be sure,” Toffee said, lowering his head in despair. “I don’t believe I need to say how much they meant to each and every one of us, they were the best hope we had for a peaceful future and now they are gone, all because of a careless mistake. I think I speak for us all when I say they will be greatly missed.”

Buff Frog’s face remained neutral as the lizard spoke but his grip on the baby in his arms grew just a big tighter.

The others struggled to process this tragic news, each grieving in their own way for the loss of their most trusted allies, the only two Mewmans who had ever earned the respect of monster kind, who were now sadly taken from them without so much as a proper goodbye and they each couldn’t help but feel cheated by the loss in some way.

Beard Deer punched the nearest wall, his eyebrows furrowed in fury and pain. “How could this have happened?! Someone should have been there, someone should have tried and save them!”

“I did,” Buff Frog spoke up, his voice choked and raw, while his face was a concoction of grief, guilt, and exhaustion, the complex emotions etched into every crevice of his face. “I tried but… could only save Marco.”

“Who’s Marco?” Bearicorn asked.

Instead of answering, the frog monster simply stepped forward so his allies were in view when he pulled back the cloth covering the baby’s face, revealing a pair of bright, curious eyes and two glowing red suns. “This is Marco. Marco Diaz.”

The other monsters paused at the mention of the name. “Diaz?” Beard Deer repeated, confused. “You mean… he’s their kid?”

“I didn’t even know they had a kid,” Lobster Claws said, scratching his head again. He glanced up at Buff Frog. “Did you know?”

There was a short pause before Buff Frog shook his head. “No.”

Beard Deer, Bearicorn, and Lobster Claws all shared a look before returning their focus to the small child in the frog’s arms. A part of them was still in doubt that this kid could actually be related to the Diaz’s, after all what possible reason would they have for keeping him secret? And somehow even Buff Frog didn’t know, despite being considered an honorary family member. Why would they not tell him? But as Marco’s chocolate brown eyes stared up at them with no fear, his cheekmarks lighting up as he giggled to himself a smile washed over the monster’s faces. That look… it could only come from a Diaz. “He is a Diaz,” Beard Deer whispered to himself.

“Awwww he looked at me!” Lobster Claws exclaimed happily.

“Actually I think he was looking at me,” Beard Deer argued.

Lobster Claws glared at him. “No he wasn’t , it was me!”

“If he was looking at you it was probably because of how goofy your face is,” Beard Deer snapped.

“Well at least I’m not ugly!”

“UGLY!!”

As the two quickly broke out into a fist fight (or claw fight more accurately), Bearicorn looked nervously over at Toffee. “Is- Is this okay?” he asked quietly.

Toffee glanced over at the child, his eyes darkening for an instant, before returning to their neutral, uncaring state. “Well we can’t exactly leave him out there to die, can we?”

“Yeah but… y’know.” Bearicorn cringed, not needing to explain himself any further. They all knew Toffee’s thoughts towards Mewmans, it was one of the reasons they followed him, he was the first monster to ever voice that distaste so strongly. There was no doubt his radical ideals wouldn’t stop at just words, there was a war coming, they could all feel it, the smell of unspilled blood staining the air in anticipation and for better or worse, everything was about to change.

Toffee’s gaze never faltered, saying in a voice brimming with decision, “This changes nothing. Mewmans still must pay for their crimes and this death will be a catalyst for what is to come.”

“Wait, you don’t think the Mewmans had something to do with this, do you?” Bearicorn asked in surprise. This gained the attention of the others, all staring at Toffee wide-eyed.

Toffee shrugged the accusation off, only to continue in a knowing tone, “Perhaps not. But I don’t see any Mewmans grieving over their death, do you? The Diaz’s fought for us, spoke often to any who would listen about a better, peaceful world and what did the Mewmans do? They rejected them at every turn. Is it that hard to believe they would benefit from this loss?”

Buff Frog glared daggers at the lizard but it went ignored.

Beard Deer growled. “You're right! Heck, I bet that’s why they didn’t tell anyone about the kid! Probably didn’t want him to get bumped off with them!”

“Yeah, those lousy Mewmans! I could just punch them!” Lobster Claws screamed.

“Now, now, let’s be fair,” Toffee said, his voice almost gentle. “It isn’t the Mewmans fault, the only thing they know is to steal. They steal our land, our homes, our freedom. All they have ever done is take from us and now they have taken something that can’t be given back.” At this his tone darkened, a sharp sneer twisting his features. He gestured over to Buff Frog and Marco. “This boy will grow up an orphan because of them. Now does that seem fair?”

“No!” the others shouted, all but Buff Frog, who kept a passive look on his face.

“And why do you think it is that they push us around? It’s because we don’t fight back. In our pacifism we have let them learn to hurt us, to steal from us, to take from us. And if we don’t fight back, it will only get worse from here. How much longer are we going to wait before they decide to be rid of all of us? Before they decide to do to us what they have chosen to do to the poor Diaz’s.”

“That’s not gonna happen!” Beard Deer yelled.

“Exactly, it won’t. Because we are going to stop it from ever happening. We are going to make sure they never take from us ever again, by taking back what is rightfully ours.”

Another collective cheer rang through the castle, Buff Frog just watching silently, the small child in his arms whimpering in discomfort. It seemed even Marco could tell how wrong this all was. The frog monster knew killing Angie and Raphael was part of Toffee's plan for war but to use their death, to go against everything they ever stood for in life, was too cruel even for him.

Toffee must have noticed Buff Frog's scathing glare because he suddenly turned to him and smirked. The amphibian fumed with rage, though he managed to contain it behind a hollow mask, he wouldn't give Toffee the pleasure of knowing he was getting to him. So instead he fled the scene, disappearing inside the castle, his only focus on finding Marco a safe place to sleep for the night.

He didn’t get far though before he soon felt a presence slither up behind him and his skin crawled, the hallway was dark, too dark for Buff Frog to see so he didn't bother turning around to face them. He didn't have to, there was only one monster it could be. "Thought you were inspiring others," Buff Frog spat, not bothering to hide his contempt.

The vile glares did nothing to intimidate Toffee as he said in a bored tone, “I was until I noticed my right-hand monster was suddenly gone" He paused before adding darkly, "So I just wanted to make sure you weren't having… second thoughts."

Buff Frog met his accusing glance, staring deep into the black pits of his lifeless eyes not daring to flinch. "Already agreed to follow you. Have nothing to worry about."

"Yes well, I know how that hero complex of yours can act up at the most inconvenient moments."

Buff Frog had nothing to say to that, instead asking, "Why lie to them?"

A smirk cracked through Toffee's emotionless mask as he replied, "They needed something to motivate them. Besides, I thought you would be happy. I gave their deaths meaning."

A dangerous look flashed across the amphibian's eyes, as he growled, low and dangerous, "You have no right go use them… not after what you've done."

Toffee rolled his eyes. "As if you are somehow innocent in all of this. If you hate me so much for what I did, why didn't you try and stop me? Why did you leave them alone in that house to die?"

Toffee knew he had struck a nerve as the frog monster's entire body began to shake, rage nearly consuming him while tears of regret and failure flooded his eyes. The lizard smiled, pleased at finally breaking Buff Frog’s calm demeanor, showing the true hatred lurking just beneath the surface.

Buff Frog looked ready for murder, ready to rip Toffee apart with no regrets, only for a small whimper to bring Buff Frog back to himself. Suddenly all that anger diminished leaving behind a hollow emptiness in its place, the painful loss still fresh in his mind, impossible to forget. The whimper, which had come from Marco, was then followed by a small cry from the child, demanding his new caretaker’s attention. And with it, Buff Frog remembered the big picture. Nothing, absolutely nothing, mattered more right now than protecting Marco. He would do anything to make sure the last remnant of the Diaz legacy lived on. Even follow the most vile, disgusting monster Buff Frog had ever met. So instead of going through with his plans for murder, he simply lowered his head dismissively and hated himself for it.

Toffee on the other hand looked pleased he had won this battle of wills, his self-congratulatory smirk quickly shifting into his typical neutral expression. And just like that, the conversation took a complete turn, the threats and intimidation becoming something much more mundane or at least seemed to be. “Now then, if that’s all settled, I would like to discuss your role in all this going forward.” The lizard absentmindedly straightened his tie, speaking as if he was just discussing business with a co-worker rather than plotting the end of an entire race. “Since I’m certain that child is going to be more trouble than he’s worth, I’ll allow you some time off to care for him while I deal with our… Mewman situation. However, once he’s old enough to be left alone, I expect you to pick up your slack and help us finish this once and for all, do I make myself clear?”

Since Toffee left no room for argument, Buff Frog could only nod in agreement, muttering “yes” under his breath. The lizard seemed satisfied with that as he turned on his heels to slink away into whatever dark corner he crawled out of, only to pause and add, “Oh and one more thing, Buff Frog.” The frog monster once more met the lizard’s eyes, a threatening aura emanating from the monster nearly enough to suffocate Buff Frog. “If you so much as breathe a word of what we discussed today to anyone I can promise you there will be severe consequences.” Toffee made a point of glancing at Marco then back at Buff Frog before stalking away down the dark hallway.

The baby Mewman was now full-on crying in Buff Frog’s arms but the amphibian didn’t hear it, instead lost deep in doubts and contemplations over his choices up till now. Was he really doing the right thing? Buff Frog didn’t know anymore. So much blood was about to be shed, so many lives would be lost and yet he was going to allow it to happen, to go against everything the Diaz’s- his second family- had stood for. And worse he was going to have to commit these atrocities if he had any hope of keeping Toffee away from Marco.

Marco. And what about Marco? Was he really going to allow Marco to live in such a hostile environment after promising his parents he would protect him? Did he really have any other choice?

Buff Frog sighed, a deep exhaustion suddenly weighing down on him. He didn’t have any answers and he lacked the strength to try and solve any of them anyways. His heart was still plagued by grief and his mind still haunted by his actions. The pain was too fresh and all he could do was try and push himself through. If not for him than for the small child who now depended on him.

The frog monster looked down at Marco with tired eyes, the boy still crying for care, trying to make his presence known to his new de facto dad and Buff Frog felt a bit of his strength return. Whether he had made the right decision or not, there was no going back, he could only move forward. Whatever choices he had to make, whatever sacrifices must be met, Buff Frog would gladly make them so that his little boy had a chance at a bright future. No matter what he had to become in the process. After all, that’s what Angie and Raph had done. Given up everything for their child and Buff Frog swore to honor that legacy.

So as with his resolve intact, he shushed the crying child, rocking him gently in his arms as he headed for their room. “Now, now, don’t cry, Marco. Everything okay. It’ll all work out, you see.”

#star vs #star vs au #my writing #light of the sun and stars #the light of dawn #kid!marco #buff dad

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thdorkmagnet · 2 years

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Light of the Sun and Stars Chapter 49: When She Used to Smile

Chapter Synopsis: Since the beginning Jackie was there for Star. She has watched as Star faced every challenge with a smile, seen how her kindness changes the world around her, and been there by her side through the thick and the thin. She has grown to love the smile of her oldest and dearest friend… until one day, something takes Star’s smile away.

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Disclaimer: Star vs and all it’s characters belong to Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Index

Previous Chapter>>

The world was full of gray.

Jackie didn’t understand how everything was so gray, her parents had always said that Mewni was full of beautiful colors, that it was bright and brilliant, that being there was like stepping into a painting. There were colors there Jackie had never seen before, colors she had only gotten a brief chance to see before they all seemed to fade away. If she had known how dark Mewni would be she never would have wanted to go there at all.

This was supposed to be a happy time, her first trip to another dimension, she had been overjoyed. Not only would she get to see someplace new but she’d get to watch her parents perform for a whole audience of Mewmans. Instead she had watched them both fall and never get back up again. She had tried to go to them, walking in a daze, but she had been shoved aside by people rushing to help them. There had been so much screaming from the crowd, it was almost deafening and yet it all sounded like nothing but mindless noise to her. She couldn’t focus, not when the world kept swaying back and forth and the gray seemed to be consuming everything around her. But then something clicked in her head, one voice from the crowd reaching her ears and wrapping around her brain in tight, unbreakable knots. “They’re dead!”

And Jackie had run.

She ran away as far and fast as her legs would carry her. She didn’t want to listen to the screams anymore. She didn’t want to see her parents' motionless bodies. She didn’t want to watch the gray destroy all the colors around her. She wanted to wake up. Maybe if she ran far enough she would wake up and her parents would still be there. They would smile down at her and brush the bangs out of her eyes and tell her how special she was. It was raining now. Strangely no one seemed bothered by the rain or the gray but how could they not notice it when it was all Jackie could see anymore. The rain just kept falling and soon she was too blind to see one foot in front of the other.

She tripped on something, she didn’t know what, before collapsing onto her knees. That’s when the rain seemed to come from inside her. She couldn’t stop the rain as painful sobs burst from her throat. It hurt, it hurt so bad. Her heart was being torn in half and nothing could stop it. She wrapped her arms around herself, fearful of how much her body was shaking. But no matter what she did, the rain had control now. The gray had finally won.

There was no light, no warmth, no color. Her world was forever gray. And nothing could save her from it.

As more and more sobs escaped her, sending painful shocks through her body, a new feeling overcame her. Alone. She was alone now. No one moved towards her, tried to comfort her, in fact, no one even seemed aware she was there, that she was in pain. It was as if she was invisible. Was she blending in with the gray now. Had she become the gray? Was that why no one could see her? Maybe she didn’t exist anymore. Maybe her color and light had left with her parents. Maybe they were together somehow in a new, colorful world. Why couldn’t she be there too?

Jackie bowed her head until it was resting against the smooth pavement, the cool stone felt good on her forehead and it occurred to her those last thoughts had only been a lie. There was no other world. Just this cold, colorless one. Empty and unforgiving. A world that had taken away the only things she had and left her with gray nothingness.

“Hey, are you okay?”

A voice? There were no voices here. They couldn’t break through the gray. And yet, the voice had color and it made Jackie pause.

“Um, excuse me. Are you alright? Are you hurt or something?” The voice again, still bathed in color. How? How could there be color in this monochrome world she now lived in? “Hey, I know you can hear me! It’s not polite to ignore people, y’know.”

Who was the voice talking to? Why didn’t they respond? Jackie wanted to hear another voice to see if they had color too. Instead, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

Jackie’s head raised and suddenly she was staring at a girl with bright, golden hair. Her hair looked like sunshine and gold, her eyes crystal blue and the hearts on her cheeks a warm pink. This girl had color. Lots of color and Jackie could only stare at her in awe. She wore a fancy blue dress that looked more expensive than anything Jackie had ever owned, though it seemed the girl didn’t take care of it considering she could see small rips and tears in the fabric. Her knees had scuff marks so she was clearly an active child, even if running around looked difficult in such a fancy dress. She looked like she was close to Jackie’s age, just barely an inch shorter than her, which was funny since she seemed to be towering over Jackie right now. The girl was frowning but still there was a lightness to her frown, it never quite reached her eyes.

“Why are you on the ground?” she asked, looking confused. “And why didn’t you answer me?”

“I-” No other words could escape Jackie's throat, there was a massive lump there.

But the girl didn’t seem to mind, continuing on without an answer. “Oh hey, you’re crying! Did you get hurt?! Do I need to call one of the guards to help you?!” Concern flashed across the girl’s face before she looked around for something. “Oh right, I forgot I ditched them earlier.” She bit her lip, her expression now thoughtful. This girl had so many colors it was unreal.

“I’ll have to go find them then, I guess,” she muttered, turning to walk away. Jackie felt panic flood her system. She couldn’t let this girl leave, if she did then the gray would return and Jackie would be consumed. So without thinking, she reached out and grabbed the blonde girl’s arm in a shaky grip.

"No, please don't go!" she begged, unable to control herself. What was she doing? She just met this girl and yet Jackie was acting as if they knew each other. Of course she wasn't going to stay, why would she? It wasn’t like this girl owed her anything. All Jackie was doing was embarrassing herself, yet she still couldn’t bring herself to release her grip, desperation and sadness making her lose all sense of dignity, instead clinging on even tighter to this random stranger.

The blonde girl blinked once, staring back at her in surprise. Jackie waited for her to rip her hand away or scream but instead the girl knelt down so she was at eye level. “Okay, I can stay if that’s what you want,” she replied pleasantly. She wrapped her arms around her knees before adding playfully, “But you have to answer my questions, okay?”

Jackie, still in shock, just slowly nodded.

“So what’s your name? And why are you crying?”

“I-I’m Jackie, J-Jackie Lynn Thomas.” saying her parents’ names hurt much more than she had expected and she whimpered pitifully. “I, um, was crying because, uh-” Jackie sniffed, swiping a hand across her eyes and nose. “Because my parents are- are…” She couldn’t contain herself, breaking into more uncontrollable sobs, covering her eyes with her hands so this new girl didn’t have to see her cry.

“Oh, no, no, don’t be sad, it’s okay!” the blonde girl comforted or at least tried to, surprising Jackie once more as she pulled her into a tight hug. It felt nice and she found herself soaking in the warmth, her sobs beginning to slowly die down. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I was just trying to be friendly.”

“I-I know,” Jackie hiccuped, still trying to wipe her eyes so her tears would stop spilling over, for some reason she couldn’t stop worrying about crying all over the girl’s pretty dress. “It’s n-not your fault. I’m j-just sad because I’m…. all a-alone now.”

The blonde gasped, before pulling out of the hug, staring Jackie directly in the eye. “Wait, you are?! That’s so horrible!” The girl’s face went from concerned to determined as she suddenly declared, “Well, not anymore! I'll be your family!" She pointed proudly to herself, clearly excited for coming up with such a flawless plan.

Jackie just stared at the girl, completely speechless for a moment before she burst into tearful laughter at the sheer absurdity of the suggestion. She felt a bit of color return, faded as it was, it lifted her spirit in a way she hadn't thought was possible anymore. "We just met, I don't think that's how it works," Jackie giggled, still swiping at her tear-stained cheeks.

"Yes it is," the girl countered, puffing out her chest in what Jackie could only assume was supposed to be an authoritative manner. "I'm a princess and what I say goes and I say we're family."

Jackie clutched her stomach as more laughter burst from her chest, at this point she had fully lost control of herself, somehow managing to weep and chuckle at the same time. Her stomach hurt and she was struggling to breathe but she didn't care. She was feeling color again and if she stopped laughing she might lose it. "You're so ridiculous! You-You can't just decide that! What are your parents gonna say?!"

"Then we'll hide you in my closet,” the girl said as if that was some brilliant solution.

"I don't want to live in your closet!"

The girl pouted, crossing her arms and puffing up her cheeks cutely. "Fine, if you don't want to be my family-" she muttered under her breath, only for Jackie to interrupt.

"Let's do it!"

"Huh?" the blonde cocked her head to the side, frowning.

"I would love to be your family," Jackie declared softly. The tears had finally stopped flowing. The gray was fading.

"Yay!" the little blonde girl cheered, doing a silly dance with her arms in celebration, her eyes somehow sparkling with joy. "I knew you'd see it my way!"

"It's hard to argue with," Jackie admitted, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. "Though we should try talking to your parents before shoving me into your closet."

The girl nodded. "Okay, we'll try my dad first, he's pretty cool with stuff."

Jackie highly doubted either of them would agree to adopt some random girl their daughter met on the street but if it meant staying around this weird, colorful girl a little longer she would do anything. Besides her crazy plan sounded more convincing coming from her, it made it easy for Jackie to follow along.

"I'm Star by the way," the girl finally introduced herself and the name fit perfectly. It was as colorful as she was.

Star held out her hand to Jackie while a bright smile lit up her face and suddenly the whole world lit up with color. Jackie was awestruck to say the least, her parents had always said Mewmans had magic but she had never would have thought it could do something like this. And as Jackie took Star's hand, the color flooded her too and despite the pain she still felt, something deep inside her whispered that somehow, some way, everything was going to be okay.

And Jackie smiled.

…

Jackie lay awake that night, staring up at the ceiling lost deep in thought. The bed was too soft compared to what she was used to, the room a little too bright for her to fall asleep despite how exhausted she felt. It had been such a long day, too long, and she wished her brain would just shut off and allow her to rest. But in the quiet of her new room she was powerless to keep her mind from wandering.

The fact she was there at all was nothing short of a miracle. Convincing Star’s parents had been no easy task, a lot of begging and pleading and puppy dog pouts had been used and it was only until King River suggested it might be “good for Star” did Queen Moon finally break. It was awkward staying in a place she knew she wasn’t welcome but at this point Jackie didn’t have a lot of options. She just had to hope Star’s parents warmed up to her before they changed their minds and decided to toss her out on the streets.

She swallowed, before rolling over onto her side, curling her body tightly into a ball. What was she gonna do now? She couldn’t stay there, could she? She had to get home… if she even knew where home was. Her paren- they had never shown her how to get back. Why hadn’t she thought to ask? ….Actually, there were a lot of things she wished she had said before the end. She should have told them she loved them more, that they were the greatest parents she could ever ask for, that she was gonna miss them so, so much. Jackie choked on a sob, tucking her legs tighter into her chest. It hurt. It hurt so bad. She wished she could go back in time and do things differently, maybe then they wouldn’t be…

Jackie whimpered, the tears dripping down her cheeks without warning. It was like a floodgate had been opened, once one tear started they all followed suit until she was soon weeping pitifully. She cried until it physically hurt and still she cried some more. She didn’t think there were any tears left in her body to cry but clearly she was wrong because they just kept coming with no sign of stopping. She was so tired, why couldn’t her body just let her rest?

“Hey,” a voice whispered, one soft and familiar. “Hey, can I come in?”

Jackie uncurled from her sheets glancing up at the young blonde peeking her head in. The white-haired girl sniffed, furiously scrubbing at her eyes to destroy any evidence of the tears before saying with a croak, “Yes.” She cringed at the sound of her own voice but hoped Star wouldn’t comment on it.

The blonde stepped inside, skipping the few steps to Jackie’s bed before plopping down on the end. It was just goofy enough to earn a tiny smile from Jackie, the weight on her chest lifting just a little. “I got you something!” Star exclaimed, her eyes lit up with joy.

Jackie smiled politely, but on the inside she was desperately trying to think up some excuse to avoid getting a present from the eager blonde. As sweet a sentiment as it was, she didn’t think she was in a good place right now to receive any kind of present and she was terrified her lack of reaction would offend or upset Star, the girl who had already done so much for her. There had to be a way out of it. “Um, I’m kinda tired. Maybe we could wait to do it in the morning.” It was a lame excuse but hopefully it worked.

Star shook her head, the smile never leaving her lips. “Trust me, you don’t want this to wait till morning.”

Jackie bit her lip. Star was being more stubborn than she expected. “Um, I really don’t-”

Star huffed, before thrusting her gift into Jackie’s hands. “Just take it already!”

Jackie blinked, staring down at the small necklace in the palm of her hand, a bright yellow seashell attached to a thin chain. She would recognize it anywhere. It was her mother’s. “H-How did you- I mean, where did- I-I don’t even know what to say.” Jackie looked up at Star completely flabbergasted and the blonde just smiled proudly.

“I thought you would like it! My parents said it was found on… well, anyways, they found it and I thought you might wanna have it. Y’know to remember them by.”

Tears dripped down Jackie’s cheeks as she just stared at the last reminder of her parents, running a finger along its jagged surface. Star seemed concerned, leaning forward before saying, “Um, if you don’t like I can take it back.”

Jackie shook her head, smiling up at Star with tear-filled eyes. “I love it. Thank you. Thank you so much, Star.”

Star smiled back, her eyes filled with soft sympathy, before surprising Jackie with a hug. “Anytime,” the blonde replied. Jackie sighed, before melting into the hug, her mind finally quieting as she just clung to her new friend. And for the first time that long, horrible day Jackie felt truly at peace, allowing herself to silently fall asleep in Star’s arms knowing she would still be there tomorrow when she woke up.

…

Jackie sipped on her smoothie, leaning back on the uncomfortable wooden bench as she watched the friendly townsfolk continue about with their everyday lives. It seemed boring but ever since permanently moving to Mewni, she had found one of her favorite pastimes was to just sit and watch the bustling city life, seeing the Mewmans all hard at work to keep their proud community up and running. It made her feel connected to them somehow, like she was a part of their world rather than an outsider who didn’t belong. She hadn’t realized how desperately she needed that feeling too until she had started coming out there to watch.

Life on Mewni was far from perfect, Butterfly Village was so different from the sandy beaches and blue skies she had called home that it was difficult to feel any sense of belonging there. It definitely didn’t help that Star was so far the only person she had been able to get close to, everyone else seemed weary of her, making it impossible for her to make friends or any kind of meaningful connection with anyone other than her savior. Even the castle just didn't fit for her yet, it was too big with so many empty rooms to get lost in and echoing silence that seemed to never want to leave. Sometimes she would just sit in the empty rooms and scream, just so she didn't feel so alone, though it often did lead to her having to explain to the guards she wasn't in any actual danger.

Jackie knew she was acting a bit selfishly, that she should be grateful she had a place to stay at all, but she couldn't help it. She missed her real home. She missed her old house, her school, her friends, her town, her-

Jackie choked back a sob, nearly spitting out her drink in the process. She pushed the thoughts back down before the pain could set in, forcing herself to focus on the shopkeepers and cartsellers instead. She had found that the easiest way to deal with the loss of her parents, otherwise she would just be a sobbing mess for the next few hours. Mr. Candle had told her time would heal her wounds but after several months she didn't feel any more "healed", if anything she only felt more broken. But then nothing Mr. Candle said had helped her in any way, it was all just meaningless dribble and Jackie suspected he wasn't the all-knowing counselor he claimed to be. Needless to say, she hadn't gone back since.

Jackie reached for her neck, a great relief washing over her as her fingers brushed against the familiar seashell necklace. It was comforting to have a piece of her parents there with her, like they were still with her in some way, so she made it a habit to keep it close, even tucking it under her pillow at night. It was a bit irrational but at this point Jackie was willing to take any comfort she could get.

“Hey Jackie, look! My tongue turned green,” Star giggled from next to her. Jackie glanced over absentmindedly as the young blonde stuck out her tongue so her friend could see it had indeed changed in color thanks to her own smoothie. Jackie gave her friend a small smile and nod, feeling the knots around her heart loosen just a little. Life on Mewni was still far from perfect but if there was one thing that kept her going through it all, it was Star. Something about her hyper positivity kept Jackie sane and her smile never failed to bring a smile onto her own lips. Not everyone on Mewni seemed to agree, in fact most people seemed to think she was nothing but a reckless and irresponsible kid, Star’s parents included, but Jackie wasn’t so easily fooled. She saw Star for what she really was, a kind and caring person with so much joy to share. Even when she did mess up or make some kind of mistake, it always came from the heart. And Jackie was sure someday people would see that too. They just needed to get to know Star a little better.

Star leaned in closer to her friend asking curiously, “What color did your tongue turn?” She tilted her head this way and that, trying to see inside Jackie’s mouth.

The white-haired girl just shook her head, explaining, “Mine’s strawberry, Star. It’s not gonna change color.”

Star blinked. “Oh, that’s a shame,” she said simply before taking another long massive slurp of her drink. “But at least these smoothies taste great! This might be my favorite drink ever!”

Personally, there was a bit too much sugar in it for Jackie’s tastes but she didn’t have the heart to tell Star. Not when she was smiling so brightly, her grin spreading from ear to ear as she kicked her legs back and forth on the bench, looking happy as could be. Her positivity was almost addictive and Jackie welcomed it over her own misery.

“Yeah, they’re the best,” she agreed, before returning to her sight-seeing.

No one seemed aware yet that the young royal was amongst them, most of the time if Star was spotted it became a mob and any hope of Jackie getting to enjoy some peace was ruined completely. Of course it was only a matter of time till that happened so she tried to enjoy it while it lasted.

There was something so fascinating about Butterfly Village that always kept Jackie coming back. It was so different from the world she knew, even if it did make her feel like an outsider, and she was always finding some new, interesting sight to draw her in deeper to the unfamiliar culture. The people walked and talked differently from those of Earth, pushing around wagons and carts full of strange knick-knacks Jackie couldn’t begin to understand the use behind. While the town was mostly occupied by Mewmans she would sometimes spot different creatures in the crowd, ones with hair that covered their entire body or floating horseheads held aloft by magic it seemed, or bored looking sloths going about their day very, very slowly. If there was one thing Jackie couldn’t comprehend though, it was the Mewmans fascination with corn. Despite having so much food to buy or sell, only the corn seemed to hold any kind of significance to anyone, Jackie had even once seen someone buy a house for a bag of rare corn seeds. And what was with all the carriages pulled by invisible livestock? Did none of them know cars existed? Every single time Jackie came to Butterfly Village there was always some new sight, sound, or smell for Jackie to discover and that alone made it infinitely better than the same empty, bland rooms and hallways of the stuffy castle she now called home.

Jackie leaned back on the bench, setting her mostly-empty cup down beside her. She stretched her arms high over her head, enjoying the feeling of her muscles loosening. She let out a content sigh, before tucking her legs up onto the bench. She was just starting to doze off when loud shouting brought her out of her trance. She cast a curious glance in that direction only for her face to fall. A group of three kids were huddled around a vegetable cart, the owner loudly shouting at them. The kids' downcast faces were covered in dirt, their eyes shrunken and their clothes in tatters, it didn’t take much guess work to figure out who the kids were. Orphans. Probably from the war. She would see them from time to time (though lately it was becoming much less of a rare occurrence) and each time her heart would plummet. She knew how hard it was to try and get by without a family or anyone to watch over you but at least she had a massive castle and endless supply of servants to help with her every need. These kids had nothing: no home, no food, no shelter. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be for them.

“Oh man, those poor kids,” Jackie mumbled to herself.

“Hmm, what kids?” Star asked, leaning closer.

Jackie pointed them out for her friend. “Those kids, over there.”

“What’s going on?” the blonde questioned.

“I don’t know but I’m gonna find out,” Jackie replied before holding out her hand to her friend. “You still got the coins Manfred gave us for the day?”

Star nodded, her eyes wide with curiosity, plopping all five gold coins into Jackie’s hand. The girl smiled before hopping off the bench and walking briskly over to the angry Mewman. He was too busy screaming to notice Jackie, so she tugged on his pant leg to get his attention. “WHAT, WHAT IS IT?!” the man fumed, casting his rage-filled eyes on Jackie.

The girl took a wide step back, her heart beginning to pound violently, this guy was much scarier up close, but she refused to back down, keeping a neutral expression on her face as she quickly shoved the money towards the man. “Here,” she said simply, keeping the quiver out of her voice.

The man eyed the money suspiciously before asking rudely, “And what is this supposed to be?”

“For the food they stole,” Jackie replied in an even tone.

The man looked at the money, then at Jackie, then back to the money, before swiping it up without a word. He looked back at the shivering orphans one last time, before giving them a chilling warning, “You’re lucky this time someone took pity on you but if you come near my cart again you won't get off with just a warning.” He dropped the coins into his pocket before storming away, muttering something nasty under his breath.

The three kids all looked relieved, tears flooding their eyes as they quickly swarmed around Jackie thanking her over and over again.

“Thank you so much!”

“We were sure we were goners!”

“Thank goodness he left. I thought I was gonna die!”

“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Jackie humbly replied, her cheeks turning bright red. She tried to creep slowly backwards, wanting to leave without being rude. She wasn’t comfortable with all this praise, especially since she had only shown the bare minimum of human decency. “Just helping out where I can.” The kids were all looking at her like she was some kind of angel or something and she quickly added, “Um, so goodluck, bye.”

She tried to not to run, afraid it would upset the kids but she did speedily return to the bench, sitting back down in the exact spot she had left. Jackie picked up her drink, sipping away at it absentmindedly. She could feel Star’s eyes on her and she glanced over to see the girl watching her spellbound. “What?” she asked.

“Why did you do that?” Star asked curiously.

Jackie shrugged. “They looked like they needed help and it’s not like we needed the money.”

“But who are they? Did you know them?” The blonde was clearly intrigued, Jackie stunned by her reaction. Did she seriously not know? It seemed pretty obvious. Then again, Star tended to live in her own little world, maybe she hadn’t noticed all the orphaned children living around Butterfly Village and if that was the case then she needed to know. She was the future queen of Mewni, after all. She needed to be informed about her people.

“No but I see them around town a lot,” Jackie replied, setting her drink back down. She suddenly felt a bit sick to her stomach. “I think they’re orphans. They’re parents probably died to monsters, you know how it goes.”

Star gasped, her eyes filling with sadness. “That’s horrible! Where do they live? Who takes care of them?”

Jackie swallowed hard. “I guess no one. They’re probably all on their own now.” The girl clenched her hands into tight fists, saying in thoughtful melancholy, “I can’t even imagine how hard it must be, losing everything like that and having no to help you get through it. I mean I’m just like them, only I got lucky and met you. If you hadn’t found me that day… I don’t know what I would have done.”

Jackie was too busy holding back tears to notice Star glancing sorrowfully over at the group of orphans, her eyes full of pity and her heart aching with despair, before returning her gaze to Jackie’s forlorn face, causing her own to contort with worry. “Do- Do you think there are other orphans around Mewni?” the young royal asked nervously, afraid of the answer.

Jackie sniffed, swiping a hand across her eyes, before answering in her usual calm tone, “Probably. I mean with the monsters killing so many people I bet a lot of kids are without families or homes. Maybe even all across Mewni." Jackie shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “It’s kinda scary to think about. Wish someone would do something to help. It’s not like the adults couldn’t do anything but I guess they just don’t want to. I mean remember how hard it was to convince your parents to let me move in?”

Star nodded sadly.

Jackie sighed, leaning back on the bench and resting her head against the back. “Guess people just don’t care about the little guys, y’know.” She happened to look over and spot her friend’s depressed expression, feeling guilt quickly eat away at her. She hadn’t meant to upset Star, she had just been thinking out loud, voicing all the troubling thoughts just floating around her head, forgetting how sensitive her friend could be. Thinking quickly, she added in a more upbeat tone, “But hey, what do I know, it’s probably not that bad. I mean maybe there are people taking care of them and we just don’t know it!”

She hopped off the bench grabbing Star’s arm and starting to drag her away. “Uhhhh, c’mon, I think I hear Manfred calling! Don’t wanna be late getting back, right?”

The young royal didn’t struggle as she was dragged away by her best friend, every attempt the white-haired girl made to change the subject fell on deaf ears as Star just glanced longingly back at the three sad looking orphans, Jackie’s words echoing endlessly through her head.

…

“So let me see if I have this right,” Queen Moon said, her voice ringing with strict authority as she watched her daughter with a narrowed gaze. “You wish to invite a bunch of orphans into our castle because you… feel bad for them?”

Jackie shifted awkwardly on her feet avoiding looking the queen directly in the eye. She always felt uncomfortable whenever she heard the queen talk, something about her tone just sounded like she was being reprimanded for some crime she didn't even know she had committed. She already knew Star felt the same way and made little effort to hide it. Her friend was an open book, who wore her heart on her sleeve as well as her cheeks. Today though, the blonde showed no signs of discomfort, meeting her mom’s stare with her own determined one. It was pretty impressive.

Star shook her head vigorously, her ponytails bouncing back and forth on her head and her headband nearly sent flying across the room. “No, that’s not it at all! I want to help them because it’s the right thing to do!”

Moon’s face softened just a bit but she was quick to shoot down the idea nonetheless. “I understand you want to help but it's far too risky! We don't even know those children, how do we know they won't-"

"Just because we don't know them doesn't mean they're automatically bad!" Star exclaimed.

"I didn't say that," Moon retorted, narrowing her gaze.

"But that's what you thought," Star grumbled, her cheeks puffing up with anger.

Moon sighed, putting a hand to her forehead, a look of annoyance flashing across her face. "Star, I am trying to be patient with you but you simply aren't listening. We have guards for a reason. It's not safe and I can't risk our safety on one of your ill-advised schemes."

"But you're the one always saying that a princess puts he'd people before herself," Star argued, stamping her foot for emphasis. "That's what I'm trying to do! It's not like anyone else is offering to take care of them!"

That left Moon speechless, stuttering as she tried to counter that irrefutable logic. "Well this is- I mean… you can't just-"

Her lame excuses were silenced as River put a hand on hers, Moon staring at her husband in shock. Up to this point he had simply been listening as his wife and daughter argued back and forth but now he had his own two cents to add. “Moonpie, I think our little Star is showing quite a lot of maturity coming up with this plan all on her own, wouldn’t you agree?”

Moon blushed, clearly not knowing how to counter that logic. “Well, yes but-”

“And shouldn’t we be supporting that behavior, not condoning it?” River continued. “I think it’s splendid that she’s showing interest in taking care of our people! And it’s not like we don’t have the room.”

“But River, how can you honestly expect us to take care of them all?” Moon whispered. “There would be more children than we would know what to do with.”

“Well it is Star’s plan, I’m sure she can take responsibility for them,” River replied confidently.

“I will!” Star exclaimed, hoping to show her parents just how dedicated she was to her plan. “I’ll help feed them and make sure they have clothes and-”

“Star they aren’t puppies,” Moon spoke up, her eyes narrowed with worry. The tired queen just sighed, massaging her forehead with her fingertips. “And being responsible for them is going to be much more than simply caring for their needs, more than I believe you are ready to accept.”

“What, no way!” Star screamed, furiously stomping her foot. “I can too handle it! In fact I’m gonna be sooo responsible for them that- that I’ll basically be their mom!”

“Star that’s not what I-” Moon groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Ugh, nevermind. The point is you aren’t ready. It’s a sweet idea but simply impossible at this time.”

“No it’s not! We gotta do this! They need us!” Star begged, giving her mom the best puppy-dog pout she had in her arsenal, quivering lip and tear-filled eyes included. “Please mom! Please, please, pleeeeease!”

Moon’s stern look softened and with an encouraging nod from River, the queen finally gave in, unable to resist both her daughter and her husband’s tactics. “Very well, you may bring them here.”

Star gasped, surprised she had actually changed her strict mother’s mind, her eyes meeting an equally startled Jackie’s. The two girls began cheering, holding each other tightly as they bounced up and down in joy before Moon loudly cleared her throat, bringing the attention back onto her. “But on one condition-”

Star and Jackie immediately stopped their triumphant jumps for joy, freezing in place as they waited to see what the strict queen would say. Jackie couldn’t begin to imagine what Star’s mom had in mind for them, she just hoped it was something simple and that Star could hold up her end of the bargain, she loved her friend but she was horrible at following the rules, always choosing to do her own thing regardless of what everyone else wanted from her. Normally Jackie respected that part of her friend but this was one of the rare times where she knew it could lead to real consequences.

“You will be fully responsible for every single one of them,” Moon began, her gaze icy and leaving no room for argument. “You will make sure they behave themselves while they are here and if they misbehave for any reason, I will hold you responsible. Do I make myself clear?”

Star and Jackie both nodded. Wow, what luck! Of all the conditions Moon could have added that one was really inconsequential. Jackie was confident the others wouldn’t create any problems for Star, they would probably all be grateful just to have a place to stay and warm food to eat. If they were anything like she was when she moved in, they would never take Star’s kindness for granted.

“Thank you, mom, thank you!” Star squealed, racing up the steps to her mother’s throne giving her a quick hug which Moon was quite surprised by. Before the mother could even think about hugging her daughter back though Star was off, heading back the way she came, dragging Jackie along behind her. “I promise you won’t regret it,” the young princess yelled over her shoulder.

Jackie barely had time to give the pair of royals a formal goodbye before she was dragged out the door.

“Star, wait there’s still matters we must…” Moon called after her daughter, only for the door to slam shut behind the girls, leaving her and her husband alone once more. “...discuss,” she finished, frowning in annoyance.

…

“Welcome to your new home!” Star screamed as the gates to the castle opened up behind her. The group of orphans could only gasp in disbelief as they stared up at the giant, glittery structure they were now being welcomed into, a few kids staring in awe, some breaking into tears, one girl passing out, Jackie barely managing to catch her before she hit the ground. Still, the white-haired girl couldn’t help but smile brightly at everyone’s reactions, it was clear Star was doing a good thing and she was glad she was there to witness it.

Star clearly didn’t notice the absolute amazement on each and every child’s face as she asked unnecessarily, “So, what do you think?”

“Are we really allowed to live here?” a chubby girl with black hair asked.

Star nodded. “Yep, I just convinced my parents,” she said proudly. “They said it was a-okay!”

“And nobodies gonna like… put us to work or anything?” a boy asked, his eyes hidden behind a mess of overly long bangs.

“Ummmmm, nooooo,” Star replied, raising a curious eyebrow. “You're my guests, not my servants.”

Some black-haired girl with a red streak through her hair said something in another language, one Jackie didn’t recognize.

“Okay, I don’t know what you just said but, uh, let’s go with ‘sure’!” Star shrugged and Jackie was slightly weirded out by the creepy look in her eyes, rubbing her hands together excitedly. They might need to keep a close eye on that one.

A silence fell over the orphans after that, all of them just staring blankly at the ever-smiling Star, the girl not faltering her cheerful demeanor for even a second as she faced the crowd. Finally, a random boy from the crowd yelled, “Star Butterfly rules!” and a cheer quickly followed it, all of the orphans quickly gathering around Star as they bombarded her with hugs, praise and gratitude. Well all except the girl still unconscious in Jackie’s arms, who began to stir, moaning under her breath.

She finally blinked open her eyes, her unfocused meeting Jackie’s green. “Am I dead?” she slurred and Jackie shook her head, holding back the smile. This girl wasn’t dead but she was clearly worse for the wear, her skin ridiculously pale, her unruly mop of aurun curls clinging to her sweaty skin, the heavy bags under her eyes more than visible, and Jackie was pretty sure this girl had somehow managed to strain her wrist while falling.

“So this is really happening?” the girl whispered, her eyes a strange mixture of both worry and desperation. Jackie saw through her in an instant, it was clear this girl was afraid to hope, to allow herself to believe any of this to be true out of fear of it all being ripped away from her. But she needed it. More desperately than anyone Jackie had ever seen. And Jackie smiled sadly. She knew exactly what that was like.

“Yes, it’s real,” she reassured the girl, helping her to her feet. The girl cast one more look at the towering castle and again fell unconscious, Jackie scrambling to catch her once again. She breathed a sigh of relief before checking in on her friend. Star seemed to be thriving in the attention, her smile incapable of growing any wider. She seemed to have no trouble chatting and responding to each and every kid around her, flowing from one conversation to the next like it was nothing. She was a natural. That much was for sure. Jackie had always known Star had a special talent for making others smile with her and she was overjoyed to see her friend putting that skill to good use.

Jackie suddenly recalled something King River had said earlier, about this experience being good for Star. And seeing her friend now, soaking in all the love and attention she was receiving from her new friends, Jackie had to agree. She couldn’t think of a time Star had ever been happier.

That thought persisted even as Star escorted the rest of the orphans into the castle to get situated and Jackie was forced to half carry, half drag the unconcious girl in behind them. But then a crazy, new thought entered her head as Star showed each of the kids their room while the castle staff rushed to put together something presentable for them on such short notice. The revelation startled Jackie more than she had been expecting. For the first time since her parents died Jackie felt… happy. Not just at peace or comfortable with her new lot in life, but really, truly happy. She didn’t know when or how it had happened in less than a day but it had and she welcomed the feeling, clung to it and refused to let go. She knew it would inevitably fade as the loss weighed heavily on her mind and body all over again but this was a good sign. A sign of healing. Hopefully the rest of these kids could feel the same way with time. And considering they all had the infectiously cheerful Star beside them now, that didn’t seem like such a tall task.

There was no way to deny it, things were starting to look up not just for her but for everyone. And it was all thanks to Star and her endless positivity and kindness.

…

"I'm telling you Love Sentence is the greatest band of all time!" Jackie proclaimed, sliding her pawn forward on the chessboard.

“Sure, sure, but how many other bands have you heard of besides them?” Janna asked, taking extra time to plot her strategy before making her own move with her chess piece.

“Plenty,” Jackie replied, knocking out one of Janna’s knights with her queen.

“Oh, good move,” Janna muttered under her breath.

“Nah, Love Sentence is overrated,” Oscar spoke up from his position on Janna’s bed, staring up at the ceiling and tapping random keys on his keytar. “Toxic Sludge, now that’s real music.”

“You mean the ones that sound like dying cats?” Sabrina asked, looking sick just thinking about it.

“Exactly!” Oscar shouted, sitting up on the bed. “They aren’t afraid to try something different, take chances, invent their own kind of sound.” It was clear from his tone this was something he was passionate about, the girls getting a rare chance to hear him speaking from the heart, instead of that casual, bored monotone they had grown to associate him with.

“Well, no offense but I prefer my music to sound like actual music.” Jackie slid her piece to the other side of the board, confident this game was close to over.

“Such is the way of true artists,” Oscar sighed dramatically. “Unappreciated in their own time.”

“You know what else is unappreciated?” Janna said, a cocky smile spread across her face as she moved her bishop across the board, knocking Jackie’s king over. “My chess skills… cause I just won the game.”

Jackie squinted down at the chess pieces, skeptical her opponent had pulled out a win when she herself had been on the verge of victory. It didn’t take long for her to figure out why. “Janna! The bishop can’t move straight! It only goes diagonally!” She made sure to cast a shameful glare at her friend but Janna kept a cool face despite the accusation.

“Maybe on Earth but on Mewni we have our own rules,” Janna calmly stated.

“What, no we-” Sabrina started to argue, only for Janna to slap a hand over her mouth.

Jackie raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Are you trying to mess with me?”

“I would never!” Janna said in an offended tone.

Jackie rolled her eyes, before starting to put away the chessboard and pieces. “Fine, whatever. So what do you wanna play now?”

The door to the room slammed open, startling all four teens who jumped in fright, quickly turning to see the frowning face of none other than Star. Her pouting face and annoyed posture immediately clued the kids in on where their friend had just come from.

“So what did your mom do this time, Star?” Janna asked, leaning back against her bed.

That threw Star into a predictable tangent, ranting on and on to her friends about how horrible her mom was. “Ugh, where do I even begin?! She is ruining my life! First she gives me a three hour lecture about throne posture and then goes and gives me a pop quiz at the end like I’m some stupid kid or something.” The girl began stomping around the room, barely even noticing her friends having to maneuver around her to avoid being stepped on or tripped over. “Which I totally didn’t fail, by the way, she just failed to see how using her super expensive footstool as a footstool was a good idea! Then, oh ho ho, then she has me sit and listen to some stupid meeting with the magic guys while they ramble about, I don’t know, magic stuff or whatever. And not even cool magic stuff, but like boring magic stuff! Leave it to my mom to make magic boring!”

“And let me guess, you fell asleep?” Janna snarkily added.

“Well duh!” Star shouted, throwing her arms wide. “Anyone would fall asleep listening to a bunch of old guys talk about some magical people losing their magic. Like who cares? They’re all magic anyways. Just give them your magic! Which I told mom and she said I ‘was not thinking logically and to take things seriously’.” Jackie held back the snicker at her friend’s terrible impression of her mom. “Uhhh I was taking things seriously! You were the one who didn’t think of such an obvious solution! And then she was like, ‘Well since you clearly didn’t pay attention you’ll just have to sit in on the next meeting so we can catch you up.’ And then I was like, ‘Well maybe if your meetings weren’t so boring, I would actually pay attention. Like maybe draw some pictures so I understand it better.’ And then she was like, ‘Oh but Star a princess should always care about concerns to the crown and blah blah blah.’”

Star collapsed onto Jackie’s bed, crossing her arms and muttering angrily, “Anyways so that’s what happened.”

The orphans all shared looks with one another, trying to figure out who’s turn it was to comfort their friend. All eyes soon pointed to Jackie and she let out a quick sigh. She had done it last time and the time before that. But still, she knew it had to be her. All the others only managed to make Star more angry somehow. Maybe it was because Jackie was older than all the others, maybe she just knew Star better, or she just had a natural talent for having the right things to say. Either way, she really didn’t have much choice in the matter. She moved next to Star on the bed, putting a hand gently on her shoulder and saying the most comforting thing that came to mind. “Hey, you know she loves you. She just has a hard way of showing it is all. She probably just wants you to be ready… you know when it’s your turn to be queen.”

“Yeah but does she have to turn me into her to do it,” the blonde argued, rolling over onto her side, pulling away from Jackie’s consoling touch. “Why can’t she just leave me alone and let me do things my way?!”

“I don’t know,” Jackie admitted, keeping her voice soft. “She just doesn’t get you yet. Not like we do. But she will, I’m sure of it.”

Star snorted. “Yeah right. It would rain warnicorns and laser puppies before that happened.”

Jackie shrugged. “You never know. I’ve seen way stranger stuff than that since moving her.”

Star was silent for a moment, before suddenly sitting back up. “Oh whatever, I’m not letting her ruin the rest of my day.” And just like that the cheerful happy-go-lucky girl was back, complete with overly large smile and all. “So what have you guys been up to?”

Sabrina shrugged. “Not much thanks to all this rain.” She gestured to the window where a large downpour could be seen.

Star scratched at her chin, deep in thought. “Hey, I know!” she gasped, a gleeful charm to her voice now. “How about we play monster war? Everyone always loves that game!”

“Uhhhh but we don’t have anywhere to play,” Sabrina reminded her.

“Yeah, in case you forgot, it’s raining,” Janna reminded her sarcastically.

Star scoffed. “Oh please like we’d let a little rain ruin our fun. I know the perfect place for us to play that’s still inside.”

“In the castle?” Jackie gasped. “Isn’t that reckless? What if we get in trouble?”

Star waved this off too, looking completely confident and a bit oblivious if Jackie was being honest. “I’m a princess, I can do what I want. Besides, the room I have in mind is super old. No one goes in there ever. So it’s not like anyone’s gonna be upset about it.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Janna said with a shrug, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Yeah, we live by our own rules!” Oscar shouted, tapping a few keys on his instrument for good measure.

“Ummm… it could be fun,” Sabrina reluctantly agreed.

“I don’t know, you guys. This just seems like a bad idea waiting to happen,” Jackie muttered, biting her lip nervously.

“Yeah that’s what makes it fun!” Oscar retorted, him and Janna high-fiving in agreement.

“Come on, Jackie. Live a little. It’ll be totally fine!” Star said encouragingly, her innocent charm wearing down at Jackie’s willpower. She knew it was a bad idea, a creeping dread filling her being just thinking about it, but she was out voted and there was no stopping Star at this point, once an idea had been planted firm enough in her brain there was no force in the multiverse strong enough to shake her.

So Jackie finally accepted her defeat, reluctantly agreeing. “Alright, fine. You got me.”

“Yay, I win!” the blonde squealed in excitement. “Alright let’s go get the others! This is gonna be fuuuunnn~” Star giggled as she skipped out of the room, Janna, Oscar, and Sabrina following close behind.

Jackie hesitated for just a moment, her hands clenching tightly into fists. This was a terrible idea, her instincts still gnawing at the back of her mind, but it was too late to undo her mistake. Instead all she could do was follow along and hope for the best.

…

Star hadn’t been exaggerating when she said the place was forgotten. Jackie didn’t even know this room existed and it happened to be tucked into the least traveled wing of the entire castle. Jackie could count the number of times she had been down this way on a single hand. And she had never even thought to check the few rooms that littered the cramped hallways. The only people who used this space regularly were probably the cleaning crew, since despite how underused it was it was still as immaculate as the rest of the castle. That was until Star led them into the room she had in mind and it became apparent that no living being had been in there for a very long time. The walls and floor were covered in dust and cobwebs, a dank, dirty smell immediately invading Jackie’s nostrils as she stepped inside and she pinched her nose. There were many items scattered about the room, either stacked neatly in little piles to themselves or forever preserved on filthy pedestals. Forgotten paintings lined the walls, Jackie noticing most of them were in the same brushstroke style all probably done by the same artist. The items themselves didn’t seem to hold any significance though, it all looked like a bunch of junk that you would find in any other house but having it be in a luxurious castle made it all feel very weird and strange.

“Uhhh, Star, what is all this stuff?” Jackie asked, picking up a sketchbook from on top of a random pile, the name on the cover reading 'Estrella'.

Star shrugged as the rest of the kids began to spread out, examining the more interesting items that decorated the room. “Just a bunch of stuff from my grandmas. Apparently, none of them like to throw stuff away, so mom just puts it all in here.”

“Woooowww, so this stuff belonged to past queens?” Sabrina squealed, excitedly picking up a gold-tipped fan, opening it to find a beautifully intricate moon pattern. “Oooooo I bet this was Celena's. She was my favorite!”

“And this must have been Soloria’s battle ax,” Janna said, nodding her head in admiration towards the weapon left leaning haphazardly against the wall. She ran her finger along the blade, clicking her tongue in approval. “Still sharp. Nice.”

“Whoa! You can still see some blood on it!” Justin pointed out, leaning over Janna to get a good look at it himself. But Janna smacked his hand away.

“Hey, find your own weapon!” the girl snapped.

“Guys, maybe stay away from anything that could hurt, kill, or mame you,” Jackie scolded, carefully returning the book to its rightful place.

“Awww but that’s all the good stuff!” Ferguson whined, he and Alfonso messing with a golden hourglass which seemed to be radiating with magical energy.

Jackie’s eyes widened, quickly turning to her royal friend who didn’t even seem to notice the danger the others were getting into, distracted by a glass unicorn collection. “Um, Star, maybe we should get back to why we came here in the first place?” she said in a hinting tone, praying the blonde picked up on her distress before any of the others lost a body part or worse.

Star seemed to perk up at this, unicorn decorations forgotten as she swerved on her heels,her eyes lighting up with joy. “Oh! Right, I totally forgot!” She cleared her throat before raising her voice so that everyone in the room could hear. “Okay everyone! You all know why I brought you in here. So let’s hurry up and split into teams so we can start the game! Who wants to be the queen and who wants to be the monster king?”

“You should be the queen, Star,” Alfonso suggested. “Y'know, being a princess in real life and all.”

Star’s smile shrank just a bit but she quickly accepted the role nonetheless. “Uhhh, okay."

“And I’ll be the leader of the monsters!” Ferguson volunteered himself, puffing out his chest proudly. “Since I’m already a naturally born leader it’ll be easy.”

Janna scoffed. “Since when?”

“Since always,” Ferguson shot back, narrowing his eyes at the creepy girl. “It was the role I was always meant for.”

The others all held back their giggles at such a ridiculous claim but a few snickers managed to sneak out and the chubby boy frowned angrily. “Alright fine, you doubters! Just you wait, I’ll become king and prove you all wrong!”

“Yeah, that’s never gonna happen, Ferg,” Alfonso deadpanned and Ferguson turned to him with shock.

“Al! You're supposed to be on my side!” Ferguson whined, looking hurt and betrayed.

Alfonso shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

“You are the worst best friend ever!” the chubby boy shouted, fuming with anger.

The others eventually agreed to let Ferguson take the role as monster king. From there it wasn’t long before the teams divided up equally and the game was finally able to begin. The game was basically glorified tag, the only difference being once a person was tagged they were considered ‘dead’ and would be disqualified from the game. The monster king and Mewman queen both started out as the taggers but could pass on the role to any of their teammates, whoever ‘killed’ the other’s team first won. Jackie was chosen to Star’s team almost immediately since she was the fastest among her friends and hadn’t lost a game once. Despite still feeling uneasy about playing in what was clearly a banned room, the thrill of the game quickly got to her head.

Once the game started, Star passed tagging rights over to Jackie and she wasted no time taking out two of the slower kids there. Ferguson made her his main target, leaping towards her with an outstretched hand but she easily dodged around it. Still, he was persistent, turning on his heels and trying to tag her again but Jackie ducked under his swinging arm, tapping him lightly in the back. The boy skidded to a stop looking shocked and humiliated. “Awww, c’mon! The Reign of Ferg had just begun!”

“Sorry Ferguson, but you’re out,” Star stated matter-of-factly. “Now hurry up and choose your successor.”

The chubby boy sighed. “Al,” he grumbled under his breath, slapping his friend’s hand as he stomped over to the sidelines.

Alfonso shook his head, sliding his glasses further up his nose. “Shoulda known. Okay fine, I’ll do my best.”

The boy wisely chose to target the rest of Jackie’s team rather than Jackie herself, freeing her up to take out more of the opposite team. After a few more outs though, she faced her greatest challenge yet. “Hey!” Janna’s voice carried across the room and Jackie turned to her roommate with a dramatic gaze. And there, standing smugly amongst a row of priceless vases stood the enemy, a calm, cocky expression flashing across her face. “Why don’t you stop going after the small fries and take on a real challenge? Unless you’re afraid you can’t take me.” Her tone was like something out of a cheesy action movie and Jackie fell into the role hard.

She cracked her neck to the side before proclaiming boldly, “Bring it.”

Jackie dashed forward with an impressive burst of speed but Janna easily stepped to the side, missing Jackie’s hand by mere inches. The white-haired girl skidded to a stop before rushing at her again, confident she wouldn’t miss this time but Janna used one of the pedestals as cover, ducking behind it, forcing Jackie to sacrifice a bit of speed to maneuver around the annoying obstacle. Janna took advantage of this as she sprinted past her friend, weaving her way through more display cases to keep Jackie off her heels. The strategy worked, a bit of distance forming between the two, though not much, Jackie still managing to match each step Janna made almost exactly. It seemed the creepy kid was simply avoiding the inevitable, this race was Jackie’s to lose.

But that was exactly the way Janna had planned it, luring her opponent into a false sense of security before going for the final strike. “Sabrina! Tag me!” she yelled and Jackie felt her heart skip a beat. Of course, Janna had been luring her this whole time and she had fallen for it!

Sabrina jumped at her name being called, turning to the creepy girl with wide, fearful eyes. “Okay,” she said as confidently as she could, reaching a hand out to tag her.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Jackie screamed and in a last ditch effort to save herself, sprinted forward using every ounce of power she could put into her legs. She managed to reach Janna at record speed, slamming a hand hard into her back, stopping her just before her and Sabrina’s fingers touched. Jackie smiled in victory while Janna’s eyes widened with surprise, falling forward dramatically. The battle was over. Jackie had won.

What the two girl’s failed to notice though was that in the midst of their own imaginative game Sabrina had violently flinched as Janna fell, taking a step back in fright and bumping into one of the pedestals. It began to rock back and forth for a moment, the small puzzle box perched on top shuffling closer and closer to the edge.

This somehow went completely unnoticed by the room, all eyes on Janna as she played up her own defeat, whining pitifully, “Nooooo! And just when I was so close to avenging my fallen monster brethren! Please forgive me, my king! For I have failed you!”

“You were a worthy opponent, monster. One I will not soon forget,” Jackie said, bowing her head low in respect, equally overacting at this point as she played along with the game.

Looking up, she was the first to spot the tipping pedestal and gasped, yelling to the others, “Oh no, somebody stop it!” Everyone finally turned to the pedestal just in time to watch it toppel over sending the puzzle box crashing hard against the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces.

The room went dead quiet, not a single sound could be heard as they all just stared fearfully at the broken relic, a few sharing worried glances with one another. Sabrina broke down into hysterics, crying as she realized who was at fault for destroying the priceless piece of junk. Jackie moved to comfort her, trying to soothe the girl in any way she could but Sabrina was beyond help at this point. “They’re gonna kick me out, Jackie!” she screamed, the tears still streaking down her face. “Oh, I knew someday my stupid clumsiness was gonna get me in trouble! What am I gonna doooo?! I can’t go back out onto the street, I just can’t!” she buried her head into Jackie’s shirt, weeping pitifully.

Jackie opened her mouth to answer but it was Star who spoke up instead. “I won’t let that happen.” She walked purposefully over to her crying friend, taking both hands gently into hers. “I’ll take full responsibility. As far as mom will know, I broke it, okay. So please stop crying.”

Sabrina actually looked a bit relieved to hear that but it quickly turned to panic as she asked, “B-But what if your mom gets super mad at you?”

Star rolled her eyes. “Oh she will, but don’t worry I got it covered.” Her smile was so confident that it probably convinced every orphan there, all except Jackie who had known her longer than any of them. Star never had plans, she had poorly thought out ideas and those often led to even more trouble. She decided to try and protest this, asking suspiciously, “And what is the plan exactly?”

“Relax, Jackie,” Star said calmly, shrugging any worry off. “It’s mom! Sure she can be strict but the worst she can do is ground me. I’ll be fine.”

Jackie bit her lip. She had her doubts about that. The bad feeling returned, putting her on edge.

She would have questioned Star further if a group of stunned guards hadn’t suddenly entered the room. They were busted. The kids were quickly shooed out by said guards, who soon spotted the broken music box and glared openly at the cowering orphans. Sabrina looked like she might cry again but Star stepped in, following through on her promise. “It was me, I broke it. We were playing around and I wasn’t paying attention and well-”

The guards all sighed, looking completely unconvinced, but they had no choice but to follow protocol, one telling her, “Then you better come with us, princess. Your mother will want to have a word with you.”

Star nodded, for the first time showing a hint of fear at confronting her mom, but she followed along behind them without arguing. The kids all watched her go nervously but she turned back to them with a smile and thumbs up, trying to ease her friends worries a little. Once she was gone though there was nothing to keep the orphans calm, a thick atmosphere of dread forming around them. “Poor Star,” Oscar muttered. “That must be the worst for her.”

“You don’t think her mom will be too mad, do you?” Sabrina asked, a few new tears forming, which she wiped away sadly.

Jackie shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea. I mean Star’s gotten in trouble before but… never like this. I don’t know how Moon is going to react.” She turned back in the direction her friend went, feeling anxiety bubble up inside her.

“Well would you like to?” Janna asked calmly, her hands buried deep in her pockets. The kids all turned to her with confusion.

“Like to what?” Jackie questioned her creepy friend.

“See how Moon reacts, duh.” Janna rolled her eyes as if spying on the ruler of Mewni was an obvious thing to do.

“What?! Are you crazy?! You can’t just spy on Queen Moon! That’s super illegal!” Jackie shouted.

“Okay but counterpoint, do you think you can live without knowing what exactly she’s gonna say to Star?”

Every instinct in Jackie’s brain screamed at her to say no, that it was wrong and that they could end up in more trouble than they already were, but her heart wanted to say yes, to be there in case Star needed her, in case something went wrong. The two battled back and forth for a moment before she made her final decision. It was Star. She was worth the risk. So she hesitantly nodded her head, saying softly, “Okay fine, let’s do it.”

“What seriously?” Janna asked in surprise.

“Yeah, why?” Jackie hissed in annoyance.

“Nothing, just didn’t expect you to say yes is all,” Janna admitted. But her confusion quickly turned to smiles as she threw her arm around her friend. “But in that case, we better get going. Got a lot of vents to climb through.”

“I hate you,” Jackie muttered under her breath as she allowed her friend to lead her away.

“Hey what about us?” Ferguson called, reminding the two they weren’t alone.

They all looked like they wanted to tag along too but Jackie knew that wouldn’t work, it would be impossible to sneak around with more than thirty kids, two had to be the limit. “You guys just wait here, we’ll tell you how it goes, okay?”

None of the orphans looked happy to hear that but having no choice they all just nodded their heads, watching as the pair of girls ran off to break some more rules without them, all thoughts still on Star and what would happen to their dearest and kindest friend now.

…

Jackie could hear Star and Moon’s muffled arguing long before she reached them, crawling her way through the dusty vents. She was surprised their voices carried that far, it must be a really bad fight. Jackie looked back at Janna who didn’t even bother to hide the sad frown on her face, the two locking eyes for a moment, sharing a concerned look. Eventually the two reached the throne room, now having a bird’s eye view of the whole conversation from their hiding spot.

Star looked visibly annoyed, her arms crossed in front of her chest, frowning at her mom in an obvious pout. Moon looked much more composed than her daughter, her face betraying no emotion, staying calm and level-headed, but thanks to Jackie’s vantage point she could see visible signs of the queen’s annoyance, her hands clenched just a little too tightly in her lap, her foot ever so slightly tapping beneath the fancy folds of her elegant dress, and her eyes barely narrowed in anger. River seemed to be keeping out of it, watching both of them nervously.

“Star, I don’t want to fight with you,” Moon said with a sigh. “But I feel like you don’t see the gravity of the situation.”

“What does gravity have to do with anything?!” Star shouted, throwing her arms wide. “All I’m saying is that everything in there was a bunch of junk so who cares what happens to it!”

“That ‘junk’ was part of your family history. Priceless antiques that are the only thing we have left of our grandmothers.”

“Well if it’s so important, why was it just left in some closet then? Seriously I don’t think the cleaning staff even knew it existed,” Star retorted, tapping her foot impatiently.

Moon looked visibly upset for a second but she quickly hid it away behind her regal mask, even though from Jackie’s position she could see it starting to slip. “I had orders that the staff were to avoid that room so that nothing got broken. If only I had known to extend those orders to my own daughter.”

Star rolled her eyes, scoffing in annoyance. “Fine, fine, I broke it. It was an accident, okay. You can’t blame me for something I didn’t mean to do.”

“You shouldn’t have been in there in the first place!” Moon snapped, her anger finally shining through, looking at her daughter with disappointment in her eyes. “You knew that room was off-limits and yet you chose to disobey me anyways!”

“I just wanted to have fun with my friends!” Star shouted back, her eyes starting to fill with angry tears. “You never let me do anything fun! I always have to do all your stupid princess lessons and then when I just want to hang out with my friends I get in trouble for it!”

“Do not raise your voice with me, young lady,” Moon scolded, standing up from her throne. “You know which of us is at fault here. You could have chosen any other place to play but instead you went to the one place I forbid you from. And what’s worse you dragged your friends along with you. That is not the way a queen behaves, it is our job to lead our people down the right path, not get them into trouble.”

“Oh here we go!” Star made a point of dramatically rolling her eyes. “It’s always ‘queen this’ and ‘queen that’, I’m so sick of hearing about all that stuff!”

“That ‘stuff’ is your future, Star. And I am simply trying to mold you into a better princess, something it seems I’ve failed to do if today is anything to go by.”

“Why? Because I broke some stupid box!”

“Because you broke your friends’ faith in you. And mine. Those orphans all depend on you, look up to you, and you assured me you understood that. Clearly you don’t.”

Hurt flickered in Star’s eyes before it was quickly overshadowed by anger. “Well then how about I just don’t become queen then!”

Moon seemed startled by that but she recovered quickly enough, scoffing at the ludicrous suggestion. “Don’t be ridiculous, Star. You have to become queen, it’s your birthright.”

“Well maybe I don’t like my birthright! In fact, maybe I don’t wanna be queen at all so that I don’t end up old and boring like you!” Star screamed, stomping her foot heavily on the ground, her eyes full of pent up frustration and anger.

Every servant present in the room gasped, staring at the young princess in disbelief. Even River cringed hearing that declaration, eyeing his wife with concern, while Jackie and Janna grimaced from their hiding spot, knowing Star was about to be punished harshly. As for Moon, shocked couldn’t begin to describe the feelings etched into every crevice of her face. She didn’t hide them away like she normally would, instead leaving them on display for all to see. There was so much hurt, anger, and pain behind those eyes, her heart taking a heavy blow thanks to her daughter’s careless words. Star seemed to regret her comment if the guilty look on her face was anything to go by but before she could apologize it was Moon who spoke.

“If that is how you feel, then perhaps it’s time you learn how to be a proper queen elsewhere,” she said softly, her voice betraying no emotion.

Star gasped, tears springing up in her eyes all over again, this time threatening to spill over. She looked downright betrayed and clearly nervous about whatever punishment her mother had in store. That same fear also plagued Jackie, who felt her helplessness grow knowing she couldn’t protect her dear friend. She jumped as Janna moved so her face was next to Jackie’s ear, asking in an agitated whisper, “What does that mean?” She sounded disgusted by whatever plan Moon had come up with and Jackie didn’t blame her, she could feel her own stomach churning with distaste at the very notion.

“I don’t know,” she whispered stiffly.

River seemed startled by this suggestion and seeing the pleading and anxious look from his daughter chose to speak up for the first time since the argument began. “Moonpie, don't you think that is a little harsh?” He already had a good idea of what his wife had in mind.

Moon turned to him with a hollow gaze, almost like she was looking through him. “It can’t be helped, River. Star has to learn the role she must play.”

“Yes but it was one mistake, can’t she be given another chance before we make that decision?” River asked in defense of his dear daughter, even hitting his wife with the pouting look he knew always got to her. Star leaned forward hopefully, Jackie doing the same until her face was almost squished against the grate, only this time Moon was unwavered, keeping her face and tone firm.

“If we do, we risk letting this behavior grow worse,” Moon replied, undaunted. “Please dear, trust me on this, I fear this may be the only way our little girl is going to learn.”

River let out a defeated sigh, before finally nodding in agreement. Jackie could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She didn’t like the sound of any of this. Whatever this ‘punishment’ was, even Star’s dad didn’t seem to like it. And now that he was reluctantly on board, Jackie didn’t think there was anything that was going to save Star from her fate.

And Star looked as nervous as Jackie felt.

“What- What are you gonna do?” she asked shakily.

Moon and River shared a look before her mother declared, “Star, we are sending you to St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princess.”

“What?!” Star screamed, her eyes wide with fear. “You're sending me away!”

Jackie was equally panicked, her heart leaping into her throat. That couldn’t be true. Moon couldn’t have chosen such a cruel fate for her own daughter. Star didn’t need to go far away from them. She needed to stay right where she was so she could keep smiling. How could she do that when she was so far away from everything that made her happy? What would life in the castle even be like without Star? Jackie didn’t even want to imagine it.

“Only for a little while,” Moon reassured her daughter, though it wasn’t reassuring at all, for her or Jackie. “They have an excellent track record for teaching young princesses. You’ll be out in no time.”

“But you can’t!” Star shouted, desperate tears rising in her eyes. “I-I won’t go!”

“Yes you will,” Moon promptly argued back. “I will have someone come to fetch you in the morning.”

“The morning?!” Star shrieked, looking around for some kind of escape, one that sadly didn’t exist. “You-You can’t do this to me! This isn’t fair!”

“Star please, don’t be so dramatic,” Moon scolded. “This isn’t a punishment. I’m doing this to try and help you.”

“You're ruining my life!” Star screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands clenched at her sides and her teary eyes glaring daggers into her mother. “I hate you!”

The blonde couldn’t take anymore as she ran from the room, swiping at her dripping eyes and keeping her head lowered so she didn’t show too much of her embarrassing tears to the castle staff watching the whole argument like it was some kind of stage show. “Star, wait!” Moon yelled after her daughter, taking a few steps towards her. “We aren’t done talking yet!”

But the girl was gone, leaving Moon to contemplate her decision. The woman stood there for a moment, just staring lost in the direction her daughter had disappeared, before collapsing back onto her throne, her face downcast. River put a hand on her shoulder, whispering something gently to his wife and Jackie strained to try and hear it but it was too low (not to mention far away) for her to catch. Still she couldn’t feel any sympathy for Queen Moon, she was sending her daughter away from everyone she loved and yet still couldn’t see how badly that was going to hurt Star. She hated to imagine how her friend was going to react, Star didn’t need to be sent away to some other dimension, she needed to stay there with her friends. She craved attention and Jackie feared she might go mad in an unfriendly environment. How could her own mother not see that?

If it had been anyone else Jackie probably would have marched right in there and told her so but she knew better than to upset her royal caretaker, that was just asking to get banished. No, right now Jackie needed to focus on Star, she needed comfort more than anything else. Jackie just hoped she could offer her some, considering the circumstances Star might be inconsolable.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Janna grumbled, crawling away down the vent. Jackie started to follow but her ears picked up something strange. Crying? Was Moon… crying?

Jackie looked back through the grate and, sure enough, the queen was in tears. The rest of the staff seemed to have been excused, leaving the royal couple alone to talk. Jackie felt a bit dirty spying in on their private conversation but her curiosity got the best of her. She had never seen Moon show this much emotion ever and it was close to impossible to look away from, she felt like she was seeing beyond the layers of diligent elegance that always seemed to grace the Queen of Mewni, getting a glimpse at the person underneath.

“There, there, my dear, it will all work out,” River said in a soothing voice. “Our Star is much tougher than she lets on. I’m certain she can handle it there.”

“I know River, I just feel so lost on what to do for her,” Moon wept pitifully. “She probably hates me now.”

River shook his head. “No, no, Moonpie. She’s just upset. I’m sure she didn’t mean that.” He paused before adding, “Although I can’t say I blame her, we did drop this on her all of a sudden.”

“Yes, I wish I hadn’t acted so rashly,” Moon admitted sadly. “But I can’t help it, River. I’m so worried about her. The monsters are only getting more violent with each day that passes and if things stay as they are, I’m not sure how this will all end up.” She sighed, putting a hand to her aching forehead. “I just want her to be ready in case she ever has to… take over in our place.”

River gently lifted his wife’s hand, patting it soothingly. “Now my darling, I doubt you have to worry about such things. Skullnick and the other knights are perfectly capable of-”

“I know, River, but what if things go wrong and we aren’t here for her?” Moon sounded like she was on the verge of a panic attack, it was clearly something she had thought about in great detail before. Jackie couldn’t believe the queen was in such a state, it was bizarre to see her expressing such strong emotions, she hadn’t even thought such sides to the levelheaded queen existed.

River didn’t seem to have a good answer to that, finally pressing his forehead to hers, holding her in a loving embrace as he whispered, “Then she’ll be ready. She’ll be ready.”

Jackie felt her chest squeeze tightly, swallowing back the lump in her throat before finally crawling away, leaving the royal couple alone to grieve, her own head now swirling with thoughts much, much bigger than her. She felt small. Powerless to stop what had been set in motion. She missed when things had been simpler.

And something told her it was only going to get worse from here.

…

Jackie, along with the rest of the orphans, had found Star in her room, sobbing into her pillows, her body buried under every blanket she owned. The skater girl had approached gently, coaxing Star out of her sad cocoon so that she could be properly comforted by her and the others. They had all sat with her as she wept, hours passing before she was even able to form sentences again between her choked sobs. Jackie’s heart broke seeing Star in this state but she buried it deep down inside her, focusing all her effort and attention to her friend’s needs rather than her own. No one slept that night, the hours seeming to crawl by at an agonizing pace, every moment seeming to stretch into eternity, each filled with sorrow, loss, and despair.

When the sun finally rose over the horizon, peeking in through Star’s curtains, a dread creeped into the kids' hearts, the group waiting in nervous silence for someone to come and fetch Star. And yet they still weren’t ready when a servant knocked on Star’s door, informing them the carriage had arrived.

Star had run out of tears to shed at that point but the pain and sadness in her eyes was still there as they walked to the courtyard together. There a large man dressed in all black stood before a dark carriage, his face obscured behind some kind of mask while the carriage itself looked more like it was made for a prisoner than a royal student, complete with barred windows and a lock on the door. If the idea of sending Star away hadn’t been uncomfortable before,now the thought unnerved Jackie. How were the king and queen okay with this? Everything about this was shady and wrong. If she could she would have grabbed Star’s hand right then and ran as far away from the creepy man and his even creepier ride until they were but a speck in the distance. Only she couldn’t. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere her and Star wouldn’t be found.

So instead she offered Star a hand to hold, which the blonde eagerly took, squeezing it back with all her might, trying to find courage and comfort in her friend’s touch. Queen Moon barely seemed to acknowledge Star or the pack of orphans behind her, instead focusing her attention on the large man, giving him a rundown of Star’s basic needs and her education. The man virtually ignored her, supervising Star’s luggage being loaded into the back of the carriage, that was until his gaze happened to land on Star and the blonde flinched in fear.

Jackie didn’t blame her, the man had a dark aura around him, something sinister in his lifeless gaze. Even with the mask there seemed to be no emotion in his eyes, just an empty, dead expression that pierced right through you. It wasn’t until the man moved towards the group that Jackie realized why that was, his movements too stiff and metallic to be real. He was a robot. A machine. The school hadn’t even sent a real person to take Star away from everything she knew and loved. Something about that seemed especially cruel to Jackie.

When the machine got within six feet of the young royal, it stiffly bowed low to the ground before saying in a machinal hum, “Princess Star, please come with me. You will be delivered to St. Olga’s in a swiftly and timely manner. Say your goodbyes now.”

For a moment Jackie thought Star might bolt, her body tensing up for a second, only to relax a second later. Summoning her courage, Star let go of Jackie’s hand, the white-haired girl reaching after her numbly, wishing she could hold her there. Instead she watched sadly as her oldest friend and greatest inspiration walked towards the carriage, stiffly and reluctantly. Just before stepping inside she cast one last look back, turning to all her friends, and gave a halfhearted smile. Despite the pain in her eyes, it was still undoubtedly a Star smile. Jackie felt the lump form in her throat, struggling to hold it back. Even now, Star was trying her best to bring her friends some comfort and joy. It was the most selfless thing anyone had ever done for Jackie and she wished she could repay that in some way, any way.

And just like that, the blonde royal turned away and entered into the carriage, the door slamming shut behind her. Jackie watched unblinkingly as the carriage pushed off, traveling a few feet before vanishing inside a large portal which sealed shut a moment later. The others soon dispersed, painfully departing to try and fill the void Star had just left behind but Jackie didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t anything. Instead she just stood there, contemplating, staring numbly at the spot Star had been standing while the image of that last, longing smile hung heavily in her head, refusing to let go. What was it about that smile that made Jackie feel so… sad?

…

Two weeks. Two long, boring weeks had passed since Star was shipped off to princess school and life at the castle just wasn’t the same without her. It was as if all the color had drained from their lives the moment she left, leaving a dull, empty gray to try and fill the void. Many were surprised to find out just how much Star did for their happiness, how much they depended on her happy-go-lucky self to keep their spirits high, something Jackie and the orphans had already accepted long ago. There was no joy without Star there to spread it and it seemed everyone was struggling to cope with that loss, each trying to deal with it in their own way. Janna had essentially locked herself away in their room, reading through old, dusty books with names only she could pronounce. Jackie had once asked about her choice in literature but Janna had only cryptically replied, “Oh, it’ll be safer for you not to know, y’know in case things don’t pan out and the authorities come looking for me.” Jackie hadn’t questioned her anymore after that. Oscar had been writing sad ballads for days on end which he then forced the poor castle residents to suffer through as the screeching tunes echoed through the lifeless hallways. Many of the orphans set up group therapy meetings to try and deal with their torrent of emotions, which mostly consisted of hugging, crying, hugging while crying and any variations of those. Some tried to distract themselves with other things, the cooks had made more corn-based meals in two weeks then they probably had in their entire lives and Jackie couldn’t remember a time the castle was ever so spotless, all the servants working double-time to try and fill their now empty lives.

Even the king and queen were affected by the loss of their daughter, struggling to perform even the simplest of royal tasks. Queen Moon seemed constantly distracted by something, spacing out and trailing off mid-sentence, before rambling on about something completely different. King River seemed to have been drained completely of his liveliness and energy, shuffling around the castle like he was half-asleep, sleepwalking through each task, thick bags hanging under his eyes. He looked completely tapped out. It was unnatural. The small king had more energy than Jackie thought humanly possible (or mewnly, she guessed?) and now it was as if he had been reduced to a corpse.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, had felt right the moment Star left and there wasn’t a day that passed that Jackie didn’t beg the cosmos to bring her friend back home where she belonged. How long did it take to pass princess school anyways? It’s not like Star was completely ignorant to her duties, she just often overlooked them thanks to her naivety. She wasn’t a problem child, she was just misunderstood. Surely with some proper guidance she could learn what she needed to know and be on her way. Maybe they were keeping her a few days extra just to make sure the lessons stuck?

It was impossible to say. Well actually many people had many things to say, which Jackie was quite aware of since she had started looming around groups of servants, listening in to their gossip in the hopes of finding out news about Star. Most of it was just baseless rumors, impossible to tell fact from fiction but still it was nice to hear it either way. She wasn’t proud of herself for eavesdropping, her parents had raised her to know better, but her impatience was too strong and she couldn’t resist the opportunity to learn something about her friend, true or not. She and the rest of the orphans were kept pretty much in the dark, they didn’t even know if Star had made it to the school or not. Actually, to be more accurate, they were being completely ignored by everyone in the castle except for the cooks, who were more than happy to allow the kids to eat away their sorrows if it meant getting rid of the piles of leftovers they had made. It seemed no one knew what to do with the group of freeloaders that had been dumped in their castle by the absent princess. Besides, at least this way Jackie was doing something productive, everything else just felt pointless without Star there or at the very least knowing how she was doing on her own.

It was on the sixteenth day since Star’s departure that things took a turn for the worse.

From the moment Jackie woke up that morning, something felt wrong to her. Far from a new feeling, since that discomfort had been following her since the moment her friend left, but today it was impossible to shake off. Uncertainty seemed to hang in the air like an omen.

As usual Janna was doing her own creepy thing, rifling through pages of an extra ancient looking book, a sinister eye on the cover somehow seeming to be looking right through Jackie. The skater girl decided wisely to leave her friend to her own devices and quickly got dressed, hoping to stake out the east wing. Usually the staff gathered there in the mornings while they waited for breakfast and it was always seeping with juicy gossip. However, when Jackie got there, she didn’t find the typical polite chatter of friends and coworkers, instead she found a crowd of nervous, uncomfortable faces, whispering under their breath or murmuring darkly amongst themselves. Jackie felt a chill run up her spine, her intuition whispering sinister predictions. Clearly they knew something she didn’t and from the looks of it, it was bad.

She tried a few times to listen in to what they were saying but the moment anyone spotted her, they went silent, just staring at her nervously until she moved on. Normally, she could stand in the middle of the crowd and not be noticed, but today everyone was on edge, clearly spooked by something. And Jackie wasn’t giving up until she found out what that was.

It took some doing but she began to get pieces of conversations, though not enough to give her any answers. No, it would seem for once the castle staff were staying completely tightlipped about whatever secret they had uncovered. She would need a stronger source if she was gonna get anywhere.

But as luck would have it, she happened to pass by two random guards and overheard a sentence that made her pause. “The poor princess, I can’t imagine how she must be feeling right now.”

Jackie’s heart leapt into her throat as she swerved on her heels, calling after the two, “What did you just say?”

The two jumped, clearly startled, but when they looked back they didn’t regard Jackie with any disgust like most adults there, instead only mild curiosity. “Oh, are you one of those orphans?” one of them asked.

“Duh, of course she is,” the other said, smacking his partner in the back of the head. “What else would she be?”

“Please!” Jackie interrupted, stirred on by her racing pulse. “I need to know what you guys were talking about just now!”

“Oh you mean about the princess being-” the first one started to say, only for the second to slap a hand over his mouth.

“Shhh, quiet Jak, you know the king and queen ordered everyone to keep it a secret,” the second hissed into his friends’ ear.

Jak shoved him away, retorting angrily, “Yeah, I know but this is different.”

“How is this any different?”

“Well, you know how Princess Star feels about all those orphans. They’re her friends. So don’t you think they have a right to know, Dex?”

Dex opened his mouth to argue, only to reconsider, shaking his head in defeat. “Okay, fine but if someone finds out it was your idea.”

Jak smiled in victory, before turning to Jackie, his face morphing to a more serious expression. “So, uh, yeah, your friend the princess, she’s on her way back.”

Jackie could swear her heart stopped for a moment. “She is!” That was amazing! She had been waiting for what felt like forever to hear that… so why did it feel so hollow now? Shouldn’t this be good news, why was everything talking about it like it was some tragedy? “But wait, why’s that a secret? Did something happen?”

Jak and Dex shared a look, the former explaining hesitantly, “Well, um, so I don’t know how to say this but it turns out that school she was going to- St. Olma’s or whatever- it was, um, bad.”

Fear seized Jackie’s chest and she could barely form the words to ask, “Bad? Bad how?”

Jak couldn’t bring himself to elaborate any further, avoiding the girl’s piercing stare, rubbing uncomfortably at the back of his neck. Luckily, Dex spoke up in his friend’s place, saying, “We don’t know the whole story ourselves but apparently they were hurting the students there, like actually hitting them for stuff. And not even when they misbehaved, just… for doing anything they saw as wrong.”

For a moment, Jackie’s mind refused to believe what she was being told. It had to be a rumor. Just a dumb lie people were spreading for attention. There was no way Star could have been sent to a place like that. The adults would have known about it. Star’s parents would have known about it. Sure the place had seemed sketchy but not like that. The worst Jackie had assumed was that it was some scam, not that her friend was actually being… hurt. No, no, there had to be a mistake. “H-How do you know about all this?” she asked, begging with all her might that the source was unreliable. That somehow this was all some sick joke and that she hadn’t let the kindest person she had ever known go to a horror house.

“Oh, one of the princesses fessed up to their parents,” Dex said.

Jackie felt a panic attack starting to come on. “No, no. That has to be made-up!” she cried, doing her best to not completely break down in front of two strangers. “Please, please tell me this is just some dumb rumor!”

Jak and Dex regarded her with sympathy but neither offered her any assurance. Instead, Jak said gently, “Believe me I wish it was but sadly I think this rumor is the real deal. I mean even the dimensional knights got involved, you don’t just hire the most elite fighting force in the multiverse over a stupid rumor.”

“Then that means…” Jackie gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as a few tears surfaced. She didn’t have to finish her thought, the two guards already knew.

“I didn’t believe it either at first,” Jak admitted, anger surfacing on his face for the first time since Jackie met him. “I mean, they’re royalty, how could someone get away with that for so long? But Queen Moon has been beside herself with worry so it must be real.”

Queen Moon. For a moment anger flared inside Jackie’s chest, overwhelming the worry that still plagued her mind. How could they send Star there!? Even if they were worried about her being queen it didn’t justify letting their daughter be put through so much pain! Star… Star had been there, all alone, for TWO WEEKS! Hadn’t they called to check up on her? Did they not think to do some research first before just leaving their daughter in the care of a literal stranger?! No matter their reasoning they never should have sent her away! If they knew anything about Star they would have…

The burning anger left Jackie as quick as it came, only for a crushing guilt to take its place. This… this was her fault. If Jackie had said something, if she had objected harder to Star’s idea or had the courage to stick up for her, to warn them against their plan, then Star wouldn’t be-

“I gotta go!” Jackie said hurriedly, not even bothering to properly excuse herself from the two guards, running past them as they made her way quickly to the throne room. She had to talk to the king and queen. She needed to know what was really happening to her friend. And the sooner she knew the better… so she could hopefully start making up for her mistake. She just hoped Star was okay. Please, please just let her be okay.

A pair of guards tried to stop her when she reached the open doors to the throne room but she brushed right past them, easily evading their capture, shouting to the two royals, “Where’s Star?!”

There were several nobles and knights in the room, all of which turned to Jackie with surprise and disgust but she ignored them, focusing solely on Star’s parents. For once, they weren’t on their thrones, instead standing in the center of the massive room, everyone gathered closely around them. King River was holding his wife in a half-hug, the emptiness Jackie had noticed before seeming to fully consume him. As for Queen Moon, all the power and grace that normally defined her all seemed to have fled, leaving nothing but a worried mother behind. Her body was hunched over, her eyes inflamed red from obvious tears, although she somehow wasn’t shedding any, her mind a million miles away. Even when looking right at Jackie, it was as if the girl wasn’t even there, no one was. She was lost completely to her own painful thoughts.

“Now see here, young lady,” one of the more snotty nobles said, looking at Jackie as if she were a piece of gum under his shoe. “That is no way to address the king and queen! Can’t you see they are in no mood for your-”

“Oh shut up, you pompous windbag!” River snapped, silencing the man at once who looked back at the short king in fear. The rest of the nobles gasped at their king's undignified response but he no longer seemed interested in appearance and for once Moon wasn’t stopping him. “Can’t you see this girl is one of Star’s friends!”

“Well yes, Your Highness but-”

“And I’m willing to bet she cares more about my daughter than all of you! You think I can’t see what you’re really here for, pretending to care about my daughter just to get our attention! You're lucky I haven’t dismembered all of you! Now get out of my sight!”

The nobles had all gone pale, looking up at their queen for support but she ignored them, still staring off into the distance. River seemed to grow even more unhinged at their hesitation, screaming in a barbaric tone, “I said LEAVE!”

The crowd quickly fled, practically shoving each other out of the way in their rush to escape the enraged king, Jackie glancing back at them once before returning her attention to the two distraught royals. She watched the anger drain away from River’s features, the deadness returning to his eyes. He regarded Jackie sadly before saying, “So I suppose you heard… about my daughter.”

Jackie nodded, a lump forming in her throat. “So it’s true then.” Her hands clenched into a fist, doing her very best to keep the worry and pain at bay. “Is she… safe now?”

River sighed. He sounded a million years old. “The dimensional knights have her now. They… won’t tell us much but she’s alive so I suppose that’s something. She’ll be returned home any minute now.”

Jackie wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved by that or not. She had no idea what condition Star would even be in. She didn’t want to think about that right now, forcing the thoughts from her mind. Anger bubbled up slightly and she met the king’s eye, inadvertently glaring. “How could you send her there?”

Moon flinched but still said nothing. River spoke for her instead. “We thought we were doing what’s best.”

“What was best wasn’t sending her far away from everyone who loved her and if you knew anything about Star you wouldn’t have done that! Star hates being alone more than anything in the world! Don’t you understand? She needs us! She needed you two! Why couldn’t you just accept her for the way she is instead of always trying to change her?! If you hadn’t then Star wouldn’t be…” Jackie trailed off as tears filled her vision but she refused to let them fall, clenching her hands into tight fists. She wouldn’t cry until she was done scolding the two royals, she was going to speak her mind, no matter the consequences. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. “I know Star wasn’t perfect and that you wanted her to be better but you never once stopped and thought about what it was doing to her, did you?! You never considered how much it was hurting her to never be good enough for you or how much she hated not being allowed to be herself! And then you sent her away to some strangers because you didn’t like the person she was! I can’t even imagine how that must have felt, to think she was wrong in some way! And now look what’s happened! How can you even call yourselves her parents after what you did!?”

Once Jackie was finished with her rant, an uncomfortable silence filled the empty throne room, the king and queen just staring at her in shock and sadness, it seemed neither of them knew what to say to the distraught child, especially as she began to cry in front of them. Tears streamed down Jackie's cheeks, no longer fighting them now that she had said her piece, but she didn't look away from the two royals, glaring them down with a disappointed scowl. Finally it was Moon who spoke, saying in a soft, broken tone (so completely opposite of her usual powerful resonance), “You're right. This is all my fault. I-I didn't even think about what Star might actually need, I just sent her away because I didn't know what to do for her anymore. I'm supposed to be her mother, how could I possibly know so little about my own daughter? How-how is it that a young child could understand her better than I do?” The woman buried her face in her gloved hands, River giving her a comforting hug in an effort to soothe her troubled soul.

Jackie's features softened and her anger dimmed, seeing how genuinely remorseful Moon was towards her actions. She knew they were just trying to do what was right for Star but it seemed neither of them knew what was best for their daughter. Again the guilt weighed heavily on Jackie's soul, maybe if she had spoken up sooner she could have talked them out of it... but now she would never know.

“Please, Moonpie, don't blame yourself,” the small king said gently, holding his wife in a tight, protective hug. “You had no way of knowing this would happen. None of us did.”

“But it still doesn't change the fact that it was the wrong decision,” Moon argued, wiping the tears off of her face, leaving behind stained cheeks and blood-shot eyes. “Regardless of my intentions, I still sent her to that horrible place all by herself, I let this happen to her. And now my daughter is hurting because of me.”

Neither Jackie nor River knew how to respond to that, each too lost in their own guilt to possibly help Moon fight through hers. It seemed they were all blaming themselves in one way or another for Star's fate and none of them had any clue how to overcome it. The best they could do now was try and be there for Star.

…

Not even five minutes later, they received news from one of the castle guards informing them that the dimensional knights and Star had finally arrived. The three rushed out into the courtyard together, there greeted by a pair of dimensional knights standing before a swirling portal. Jackie had never seen one in person before, only hearing about them through stories and rumors, but they were every bit as powerful and magical as she had been told. One was tall and muscular, resembling a human or Mewman, a giant scar slashed across his right eye. His armor seemed to be made of some kind of metal that was completely foreign to Jackie but it glittered brightly in the sun, strange symbols etched into its frame, which seemed to radiate some kind of dark energy. She could tell that even now he carried many mystical weapons on him, his gloves made of some kind of sharp crystal, a glowing dagger tucked into his belt, and multiple spears strapped to his back. The other knight was some kind of purple smoke entity, taking on the shapes of a bipedal creature, its eyes burning red as it glanced around at the mostly barren courtyard.

The man eyed the king and queen suspiciously up and down, not even bothering to bow, before he blurted rudely, “Are you Queen Moon and King River?”

“Yes, that's us,” Moon said impatiently, clearly trying to hurry things along. “Where is my daughter?”

The man held up a hand. “Princess Star will not be released to you until we are sure this area is secure.”

“Of course it's secure!” River screamed, his inner Johannsen showing through again as he glared angrily at the two knights. Jackie jumped from the sudden exclamation but both Moon and the knights were unaffected by the outburst. “It's a castle for crying out loud! You really don't think we know how to protect our own daughter! Now hand our child over this instant!”

Both dimensional knights kept their calm at the harsh demand, the man saying respectfully, “Forgive us, Your Highness, it is simply protocol.”

“Well it's ridiculous if you ask me,” River muttered, crossing his arms with a huff.

Moon put a hand on her husband's shoulder to try and calm him, saying to the two knights, “Please can we hurry this along, if possible. We're just very worried about Star.”

“Understandable, Your Highness,” the man replied with a courteous nod. “We've almost got the all clear.”

The wisp of smoke suddenly shifted, looking over to its partner, Jackie hearing the faintest sound of wind whistling. The man nodded over to his bodiless accomplice before matching the king and queen's questioning gaze. “And that was the all clear. I will be right back with your daughter, Your Majesties.”

Finally, Jackie thought as she watched the man enter the portal. Normally she was a much more patient child but she was so charged with nervous energy she could barely hold still. Her thoughts continued to spiral out of control, creating worse and worse scenarios for her dear friend. Jackie still had no idea what kind of person was going to walk through that portal, just how much of Star had been erased due to her suffering, and she braced herself for the worst.

Even though a small part wanted to believe Star would just come back completely intact, like nothing had changed at all, that somehow her old friend had managed to keep herself despite all the trauma she had endured.

But that foolish hope was snuffed out as what remained of Star Butterfly stepped through the portal. On first glance she looked pretty much the same, the same golden blonde hair, the same colorful outfits that so defined her style, even the same devil-horned headband poking out from the top of her head. But it only took a second glance to see how so very wrong this new Star was, the way she hung her head almost shamefully and refused to meet anyone's eyes, the way she cautiously crossed her arms in front of her as if trying to hide as much of her form as possible, the heavy frown weighing down her face, draining all joy from her eyes and dulling the color in her cheeks, her hearts only glowing ever so faintly. No there was nothing Star about this new person standing before Jackie, only a shell of what once was. There was no smile, there was no color, there was no life left in Star. And as she stepped closer to them, she didn’t even bother to raise her head in greeting.

“Star!” Moon cried, rushing over and pulling her daughter into a crushing hug. Star didn't react, just standing there completely numb as apologies spilled out of her mother’s mouth. “Oh my poor baby, I was so worried about you! I never should have sent you away, I am so sorry. I was a horrible mother, I see that now. But please believe me I never meant for you to get hurt, if I had known how bad it was I never would have…” Moon took in a shaky breath before moving her daughter to arm’s length, smiling softly. “Well I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Jackie gauged her friend’s reaction, hoping to see even a speck of Star’s personality in the lifeless husk impersonating her but there was no response, no shift in her eyes, no anger or sadness or pain, just emptiness and that somehow frightened Jackie more. Moon seemed equally shaken by her daughter’s behavior, gently placing a gloved hand on her cheek and whispering, “Star?” This did get a reaction from her, Star flinching away from her mother’s touch, taking a step back.

A hint of emotion crossed Star’s face seeing her mother’s shocked and hurt expression, her eyes flooding with guilt and fear and she turned her head away, mumbling hesitantly, “Um, sorry, I’m just… tired.” There was so much defeat in her voice that it made Jackie ache. How was this the same headstrong girl Jackie knew so well? The one who made her own path and followed her own rules no matter who told her otherwise. Was there any Star left to save?

“I understand…” Moon said softly, still looking shell shocked. “You should take the rest of the day to rest. I’m sure you could use it.”

As she spoke, River moved next to his daughter, delicately gripping her shoulder, causing her to flinch before turning to her father, a bit of recognition flashing across her empty, blue irises. He hugged her tightly, tight enough Jackie thought Star’s bones might crack, whispering something into her ear, something only father and daughter got to share. A little bit of Star came back in her dad’s arms, hugging him back ever so slightly and squeezing her eyes shut as if forcing back bad memories. When he finally pulled away, he kissed her forehead, Star only staring at her dad in return.

She looked back to her mom, saying, “Yeah, that’ll be good.” For some reason, her eyes flooded with fear and she quickly corrected herself, “Uh, I mean, thank you so much, mom- er, mother. I am so grateful to you… for caring for me.” She did a little curtsey and Jackie thought her eyes might pop out of her head. Star never curtseyed, she had had countless lessons on the subject from many different tutors from many different dimensions but never once had Star complied to their lessons. She had admitted to Jackie once that she knew how to, she just didn’t like doing it, so to see her doing so without even being asked was mind-blowing.

Moon and River shared a look, clearly this wasn’t lost on them either, before her father said reassuringly, “Star, you don’t have to be formal around us, we’re your parents. You’re safe now.”

“Oh, r-right,” Star muttered, looking anxious and embarrassed, her gaze on her feet rather than her parents. “Forgot where I was. They really drilled that into…” Her words drifted off as her eyes glazed over, some horrible memory seeming to fill her head before she snapped out of it, her whole body violently shuddering before she focused in on her parents again. “Uh, so, I’ll just head to my room now. I’m… pretty tired.” She hurriedly excused herself, backing slowly away from the two, still trying to keep a calm look on her face despite the terror that was clealry consuming her.

“Well alright,” Moon said hesitantly. Jackie could tell she was torn on pressing her daughter further or respecting her wishes to try and keep her comfortable. Finally she settled on adding, “But if you ever need to talk about… what happened, please don’t hesitate. I know you may not feel this way now but I promise we are here for you, for whatever you need.”

Star’s face filled with doubt before turning away, saying quickly, “Got it, thanks.”

With that she made a beeline for the castle, Jackie following closely behind. She glanced back once at the two royals, both looking desperate to chase after Star but seemed to have decided it best to keep their distance and the skater’s heart went out to them. But her focus returned to Star as she heard a familiar voice greet her blonde friend, saying brightly, “Oh hey Star! I didn’t know you were back so soon.”

Jackie’s heart leapt into her throat as she spotted Sabrina, flanked by Janna, Ferguson and Alfonso, all smiling happily at their friend. She started to call out to them, to warn them against saying anything potentially traumatizing, but no longer needed to as the four got a good look at their friend. Their eyes all widened in shock, looking baffled and horrified at the broken state their dear friend was in, Ferguson’s jaw even dropping in disbelief.

Star flinched at their concerned stares, shifting uncomfortably on her feet as she stared off into the distance, her eyes glassy.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Janna asked, even tilting head to the side as a judging eyebrow slowly raised and Jackie wanted to slap her for being so blunt.

Star swallowed heavily before hesitantly replying, “Yep, all good.” She pasted on a false smile for her friends, one meant to calm them but it only added to the discomfort they were all feeling. It was so wrong in comparison to her normally vibrant grins that it no longer held the same power a signature smile from her could do. There was no life in it, just forced and hollow deception and it sent chills down Jackie’s spine. Even her smile had been taken by St. O’s. There really was nothing left of the Star she knew anymore. The others looked equally as disturbed and this only added to the blonde’s discomfort, looking for a quick way of escape.

“Well I’m gonna get some sleep, we’ll catch up later. Bye,” she muttered, brushing past them as she practically ran into the castle, escaping from all the judging looks and distraught expressions. With no one else to offer explanation for the bizarre encounter, the four looked to Jackie for answers and she couldn’t help but feel very unqualified to answer.

“Sooooo, what was all that about?” Janna asked, her sarcastic tone failing to hide the worry in her eyes.

“Yeah, what was up with her!?” Ferguson exclaimed, much more openly concerned in comparison to the creepy teen.

“It was like she was a totally different person,” Alfonso muttered, his forehead knotted in worry.

“Something… happened,” Jackie admitted, staring off in the direction Star had gone, the image of her false smile still haunting every inch of her mind. “Star’s not really in a good place right now.”

“But we can fix it, right?” Sabrina asked, staring at Jackie with lost, hopeless eyes, a look that expressed the exact feelings etched into the skater’s soul. She paused, for once completely unsure of where to go from there. She glanced back at Star’s parents holding each other close, hiding the tears they shed from the world in the other’s presence. They didn’t seem to have any more clue of what Star needed than Jackie did. This was so, so much worse than anything Jackie had built up in her head. She had hoped that at least some small part of her friend had survived St. O’s but they had really stripped everything away from her in just a couple of weeks: her joy, her confidence, her smile. Was there any way to bring that back to her? Were there any words that could be said that could undo all the pain she had suffered? For once in her life, Jackie didn’t have the answers. There was no solution, no options, and as much as she wished she could answer with anything but the truth, to make up some lie to help ease her friend’s fears as well as her own, she couldn’t. There was no lie strong enough to erase the husk Star had become. No power strong enough to suppress that memory of her broken, empty smile.

So she just shook her head, feeling defeat and despair wash over her as she blankly replied, “I-I really don’t know. I just… don’t know.”

…

Jackie couldn’t help but wonder if the saying “time heals all wounds” was nothing more than a myth someone had made up to make themselves feel better because time did very little to heal her friend’s scars. The first few months were the worst, Star barely spoke or ate or did anything other than stay in her room, the few interactions she had with people were short, brief, and awkward. Everyone tried their own tactics for bringing the inner plucky princess out but it did very little good. Janna would try some gentle teasing, trying to gauge some kind of reaction from her but it never ended in anything other than a tired scoff or sigh, the blonde seemed to have zero interest in defending herself anymore. Oscar tried actively flirting with her, even going as far as openly kissing her hand or writing terrible love songs about her, and while that did often get a look of surprise or even a blush, it did nothing to cheer Star up in the slightest. In fact, none of the orphans could improve Star’s mood, no matter what wacky or endearing shenanigan they had up their sleeves. It even seemed to have the opposite effect in mind. The harder they tried the worse Star seemed to get, the blonde almost seeming guilty for not improving, which considering the state she was in Jackie wouldn’t put past her.

Moon and River to their credit did seem to take Jackie’s advice to heart, treating Star with more respect and care than they had in her entire life. No longer was she plagued by speeches about inadequacy, instead Moon changed her approach to gentle correction. They were much more considerate of her needs, as well, doing whatever they could to make her happy. She was no longer pushed by them to behave a certain way or act like the ‘proper queen’ they had they drilled into her head and Star did seem relieved in that regard, she had already been through enough and their support seemed to be one of the few things that did help her through the difficult times. Of course, Star’s parents still had no clue how to help their daughter overcome her trauma but at least it was better than nothing.

One day, Jackie found Star’s headband in the trash but after mentioning it to her, the blonde had simply made up some excuse about outgrowing it. If there was ever a more obvious sign of the old Star being lost, then this was it. Jackie couldn’t imagine what had been said to her to convince her to throw away one of her favorite things in the multiverse. After some deliberation, Jackie decided to keep a hold of it for her friend, hiding it in a box under her bed, creating the false hope that maybe someday the old Star might return and want it back. Sometimes late at night Jackie would dream about such a scenario before crying herself to sleep, her heart heavy and filled with guilt.

And then suddenly like magic, Star came back to them, the happy-go-lucky girl everyone was so desperate to see again returning almost overnight. Everyone was overjoyed to see the blonde smiling and laughing just like she had so long ago. But those who knew Star well enough could tell it was all an act, her joyful nature only going skindeep. On the inside, their friend was still suffering greatly. However, she refused to acknowledge this, even when Jackie would briefly hint around at her mental state, instead changing the subject or making up an excuse about being tired or just outright denying it. For Jackie though, the truth was as clear as day. The smile that constantly graced Star’s face now was nothing but a lie, one that Jackie knew was only doing more harm than good for her royal friend and yet was powerless to change it.

Then there was Star’s behavior. To an outside perspective it seemed positive and even healthy but Jackie knew it held darker implications underneath. Suddenly the blonde seemed obsessed with helping others, dedicating all of her time and energy to whatever problem she felt her friend’s needed her to solve. Introducing Ferguson to his future wife, setting Oscar up with Ruberiot, pushing Sabrina to learn medicinal practices, it all seemed like nothing but kind gestures towards the people she cared about but again Jackie saw through the ruse. There was so much more to it than just an act of kindness, Star needed to focus on other people. She would sometimes spend hours, days, even weeks trying to solve whatever obscure problem she had chosen to fix, in which time Star’s health took a swift decline for the worst. She would lose sleep, skip meals, exhaust herself until she was nothing more than a walking corpse and still refused to even consider doing something to improve her health. Star was far from an uncaring person before but now her selflessness had mutated into something incredibly damaging to herself.

And the worst part was Jackie was almost certain that was the point of it all. If she was focusing on other people she could ignore the problems with herself, she didn’t have to think about her health (both mental and physical) at all and if anyone asked she could simply shrug it off as nothing more than a kind gesture. Jackie and Janna did their best to talk her out of this destructive behavior but as usual Star was not willing to discuss anything involving her trauma, so they were forced to settle on trying to carry as much weight as they could, helping her with whatever random problem she decided to resolve.

Soon the castle began to empty of residents as the orphans moved on to new lives thanks to the help of Star and her friends. Eventually it was just down to Star, Jackie, and Janna, the trio becoming inseparable as time went on. The blonde tried to offer her friends the same promises of perfect futures that had won over the other orphans, such as finding Janna’s lost village or giving Jackie an easy ride to professional skateboarding, but the two held their ground. As much as they both wanted their personal dreams fulfilled they knew Star couldn’t be left alone, she needed friends to rely on if she had any hope of overcoming her mental strife.

Just when it seemed things couldn’t grow any worse for the blonde royal, the war took a turn for the worst and Star’s parents had no choice but to lend their help if their kingdom had any hope to survive, regretfully leaving their suffering daughter alone to rule in their stead. Suddenly, Star’s days were filled with stress and responsibility, the blonde struggling to keep up with the hectic life of a ruler at such an unfitting age. And just to top it all off, Star had just inherited the royal wand, adding yet another layer of unwanted pressure onto her heavy shoulders. Jackie and Janna tried to lighten their friend’s load but Star was insistent on doing things herself, even if it was clear she desperately needed the help or at least some time to just be a normal, everyday teen. Instead she spent her time in long, drawn-out meetings, signing mountains upon mountains of paperwork, and doing her best to care for her citizens' every little insignificant need. The little freetime she had leftover was dedicated to trying to tame her wild, untrained magic, trying to master the wand all on her own. Although Star put on a brave smile it was clear to Jackie she was starting to crack under the pressure, her forced smiles layered with exhaustion and her body tense with stress. But no matter what Jackie did it never made a single crack in Star’s facade, it seemed her oldest friend was intent on staying miserable forever.

…

A new orphan was in the castle.

The news had come from Manfred, who had given her a stern warning about being on her “best behavior” (as if she was ever anything else) and Jackie had played along promising to treat their new guest with respect. It was no secret Manfred didn’t care for either her or Janna, seeing them as nothing but freeloaders taking advantage of Star’s kindness, and Jackie had found dealing with him easier if she didn’t put up a fight. Once she had escaped further lectures from the annoying servant she rushed to go meet the castle’s newest addition.

It had been a while since Star brought home a new orphan, Jackie had been hoping that was a good omen that the war was drawing to a close but it seemed like that had been wishful thinking. It was a shame, Star needed the break. She couldn’t keep going much longer.

Just as Jackie reached the guest room she heard a muffled voice inside scream, “Wait, no, stop! There’s been a mistake!” Concerned she threw the door open, only to find her roommate standing menacingly over a cowering teen. The boy was frantically scooting backwards, his eyes wide with fear and his body shaking anxiously. Janna on the other hand had a look of malice on her face, her fangs exposed just enough that it was clear it was meant to be a threat or at least look like one.

Jackie felt a spike of anger in her chest, made all the worse as she realized Manfred had been right to scold them the way he did, and before she knew it the exclamation had burst from her chest. “Janna!” Both teens turned to her, Janna’s calm facade hiding just a hint of frustration for getting caught and interrupted, while the boy’s expression changed from one of fear to hesitant pcuriosity.

Jackie hit Janna with a warning glare, her hands on her hips as she stared down her troublemaking friend. “Stop scaring him,” she hissed in her most scolding tone. She expected this to at least be enough to get an apology from her, but instead Janna just nonchalantly shrugged and said, “What, he’s new. It’s my job to scare him.”

Jackie felt the argument on her tongue but swallowed it back. It was no use trying to reason with the creepy teen, her ways still baffled Jackie even after all this time, it was just easier to let it go and try to do some damage control. Though she couldn’t help but wonder if Janna planned this and that she was somehow playing right into her roommate’s hand. She sighed, feeling a headache starting to come on, before directing her attention to the newest addition to their little make-shift family.

As her eyes met the boy’s, Jackie was caught off-guard how deep and inquisitive his chocolate brown eyes were, like endless pools of rich wonder and fascination, always studying, learning, trying to make sense of the world they saw. Jackie wondered if her eyes had been like that when she first came to this dimension… before the accident.

She approached him slowly, her eyes still trained on his as she gently grabbed his outstretched hands and pulled him to his feet. She gave him a soft smile, apologizing for her friend’s antics. “Sorry about that, dude. Janna’s bark is worse than her bite.”

The boy’s wide eyes switched back from curiosity to fear, pulling his hands out of hers so he could awkwardly cover his neck, glancing sideways at the culprit of his terror. “Wait, she was gonna bite me!”

Jackie paused at that, for a moment believing it to be a joke but judging from his fearful expression it was anything but. Clearly he was a bit more naive than Jackie had been expecting. All the more reason to give Janna an earful later on for scaring him. And before Jackie could offer any further explanation it was her creepy friend who chose to answer the question in her own Janna-like way. “Nah, the fangs are totally fake… unless you don’t want them to be.” Jackie had never wanted to slap Janna so much in her life, especially as the boy backed away fearfully.

She tried to defuse the situation, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a cool smile in hopes of offering some reassurance after the scare. “Ignore her,” she said smoothly, before offering him a hand to shake. “I’m Jackie, by the way. Jackie Lynn Thomas.” He gazed at her outstretched hand in confusion for a moment before giving it a small, awkward shake. He smiled back at her, stiff and unconfidently but it felt somehow charming in its own way, making her own grin grow a little bit wider.

“Marco,” he muttered, almost quiet enough Jackie didn’t hear it, his eyes shifting over to Janna before flashing back to her in an instant. He seemed to notice something peculiar, because his eyebrows furrowed and his head tipped slightly to the side, Jackie wondering if there was something on her face, though she kept a calm facade all the same. “You don’t have any cheek marks,” he remarked, pointing at her face for emphasis.

It was far from the first time someone had brought it to her attention, so she was unfazed by the blunt observation, stating nonchalantly, “Oh that’s because I’m human.”

“Human?” he repeated, looking even more confused now, his head tilting so far it was practically vertical now.

Jackie couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous expression he was making, quickly explaining, “I’m from Earth.” It was strange he didn’t know this already. It wasn’t like Mewni and Earth weren’t aware of each other, they had a stronger relationship then almost any other dimension in the multiverse. But that did seem to jog his memory as he finally nodded in understanding, adding a knowing, “Ohhhhh.” Again Jackie was tempted to laugh but this time was able to stop herself by biting her lip. Marco was unique, that was for sure.

“Oh good Marco, you’re up.” Jackie knew that voice anywhere, turning to see Star smiling from the doorway with that all-wrong smile, another piece of Jackie’s soul chipping away from seeing it.

“Hey there, Star,” she greeted, hoping she didn’t let her anguish show on her face or in her voice.

“Sup,” Janna supplied from behind her.

Star didn’t even seem to pay either girl any mind though, her eyes remaining trained entirely on Marco as if he was the only thing that existed. Something about her stare felt… different. She was all joy and giggles as she realized all her friends had now been introduced, before making a passing comment to Janna, Jackie punctuating it with a stern glare. Janna quickly shrugged the death glares off and Star immediately returned to staring at Marco. That’s when Jackie noticed the shimmer in her eyes and something clicked in her mind. The conversation quickly switched to Star’s magic spurred on by Janna but Jackie found her mind wandering to that look Star had given Marco. She hadn’t seen Star look like that since her dreaded Mewberty where she had chased Oscar all across the castle, nearly destroying everything in her wake. It seemed Star had a crush.

Jackie had to offer Star some comforting words after a brief explosion from the overwhelmed teen, reminding her that she wasn’t as hopeless with her magic as she seemed to believe herself to be. It seemed to work as the stress fled from Star’s face and she was able to give a calm response in return.

But then something unbelievable happened. Star, eager to change the subject, reached out and grabbed Marco’s hands, smiling brightly at him before exclaiming something about going to town. It happened so suddenly, so abruptly that it took Jackie a moment to process what she had just seen, barely believing it to be real.

Star smiled.

Not a fake smile meant to convince everyone she was better than she seemed but a real, genuine grin directed at her newest friend. Jackie blinked, letting that realization sink in a little deeper. It had been so long she had almost forgotten what a Star smile looked like but there was no mistaking it. And even after all this time it was still like a ray of sunshine after weeks spent in nothing but rain, hopeful and uplifting in its existence. Yes, it seemed somehow, someway, Marco had gotten a true smile out of Star. Even hours ago she couldn’t imagine anything that could provoke such a strong, positive reaction from Star to cause her to smile so brightly after all this time but the answer was as clear as day, especially since Jackie’s keen eye didn’t miss the subtle way Marco lit up as Star acknowledged him or the way she stared at him so deeply it was as if no one else was even in the room.

Yes, there was no doubt about it, Star was in love. Or, maybe love was a bit too forward. More appropriately, Star cared for Marco, more deeply and intimately than she had with anyone else, ever. It was easy to see why, something about Marco’s naive innocence was endlessly endearing and his curious, kind ways pulled you in, making you want to know him all the more.

And if he had gotten this much progress out of Star after only a few hours of knowing her, something Jackie and everyone else had been powerless to do for years, then who knew what Marco could do for her in the future. Maybe, after all this time, Jackie had finally found it… the key to freeing Star from all the trauma that haunted her, to heal her and give her back all the happiness she so generously gave to others.

One thing was for sure, Star needed Marco as much as it seemed Marco needed Star. Even if they couldn’t see it yet, there was something more between them than either seemed to pick up on. And Jackie was determined to do everything in her power to help them see that, to keep them together and give them both the happiness they so obviously deserved. Not just for Star but for this curious little orphan boy who made her oh so very happy.

And who knew, maybe with Marco’s help, someday Star could smile as openly and freely as she had so long ago. It was wishful thinking, but if Jackie had learned anything from living on Mewni it was that anything was possible.

#star vs #star vs au #my writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #Starco #Jackie Lynn Thomas

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