Chapter 02 - New Life

Chapter 02 - New Life

Star was sitting on the floor, hyperventilating as she rocked back and forth while the world spun around her. Why were Marco and her a lot older? Where was she? Why was she nude? Where was her long hair? Why did her ribs hurt? Her breathing grew rapidly as the thoughts raced through her mind, making the panic increase with each new question.

Marco crouched down and sat beside her. After a few moments of silence, he softly spoke; “Breathe Star, in and out, tell me what’s a matter? I haven’t seen you this stressed out since you told your parents that we were dating.”

Not understanding what he just said. Star glanced over to look at the older Marco from the corner of her vision. After a few moments, she shut her eyes tight before burying her head into her crossed arms and chest.

Marco stood up off the floor, the unexpected action caused Star to lurch back. He walked over to the bed and grabbed a loose blanket. Tossing it over Star’s body before sitting back down beside her.

“Do we need to go to the hospital? The medical staff checked you last night, they said that your ribs were cracked in the fight. Nothing worse than you’ve had before.”

With her head remained buried in her arms and against her chest, Star’s muffled voice came out; “What fight? I don’t remember anything.”

“You competed in an MMA bantamweight fight last night. It lasted five rounds before you won with a submission. Hope targeted your ribs through the entire thing. The doctor’s said that you had no symptoms of a concussion, just a few fractured ribs.”

Looking up at the concern on Marco’s face slowed Star’s breathing down. She leaned against him while her heart pounded away in her chest. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke.

“Marco, I don’t remember anything or recognize you. Before I woke up, the last thing I remember is seeing the wand explode in front of us after walking home from getting breakfast for dinner.”

Placing his arms around Star, Marco hugged her tight. “Star, that was over seven years ago.”



“Do you need anything?” Marco asked through the closed bathroom door while Star took a shower.

“I don’t understand, how have seven years gone by?” The warm water from the showerhead trickled down Star’s body. Occasionally, she wiped the water from her eyes while staring at the tub’s floor. “I’m still fourteen in my mind.”

“Well time passes, people get older, um…you’re as young as you want to believe to be?”

“No Marco, I meant how can I not remember seven damn years? Also where’s the soap, shampoo, all that?”

“Your stuff is in the metal basket on the rear wall. Also, I don’t know, you don’t remember any of our time together or graduating high school?”

Looking through the hanging metal basket that was attached to the rear wall of the shower. Star found a small bottle of shampoo made by a company that she didn’t recognize.

“Wait, we live together?”

“We’ve been living here for almost two years. Moved in after we graduated from high school.”

“What about my parents? Or the wand? Or Ludo?”

Each new question asked was harder to hear as the water drowned out Star’s voice. Marco opened the bathroom door to better hear what she was saying.

“Ludo’s dead Star. He died the night the wand exploded. Your parents freaked out about the magical essence of the wand spreading over the world due to the explosion. They wanted to send you to St. Olga’s reform school, but you refused to go. This lead to a big fight between you and your parents where you disowned your royal heritage and decided to remain here on Earth.”

“Wait, what?” Hearing the news of disowning her royal heritage, Star dropped the body wash and sponge that she had been lathering up. Attempting to bend over, she grabbed her side as the pain echoed throughout her body.

“The wand awakened dormant magic on Earth. Myths and fairy tales that existed around the world were real. Apparently the Earth was sort of a central hub for the other dimensions.”

“Not that, magic is not important right now. What do you mean that I’m not a princess?”

“You’re my princess, but yes, you’re no longer the princess of Mewni.”

“That was a terrible line. Be serious here Marco. What did you mean I disowned my royal heritage?”

“Star, you’re…you’re not...” Marco stopped mid-sentence, the memories played in his mind. “Look Star, your parents demanded that you leave Earth to return to Mewni after we almost died that night. We were both in the hospital for a long time. They placed me in a medically induced coma for days as I had traumatic brain swelling. You had refused to leave my side during that entire time. When your parents arrived to take you back home, a fight broke out. During that, you slapped your Mother.” His parents filled in the blanks about how Queen Butterfly made a comment over how an Earth boy’s life was not important compared to Star. Before anyone could say anything, Star slapped her. She went off on how her Mother didn’t care about anything except grooming her to be a future queen. “From what I was told; your Mother gave you the ultimatum of returning with them or denouncing your title. Within seconds you said that titles are not important; I was.”

Turning off the shower knobs, Star watched as the water drained around her feet.

“You haven’t spoken with your Mother since. Your Father visited us a few weekends back. They separated a few years ago. Sorry Star…this is a lot to take in.”

After a few minutes of silence, Marco stuck his hand past the shower curtain. He held out a towel. Looking outside, Star saw that Marco’s head was turned away from looking at her body. She grabbed the towel from Marco’s hand and wrapped it around her as she carefully stepped out of the tub.

“And I see you opened the door, geez Marco what gives?”

“Well, [A] we’ve seen each other nude more than a few times and [B] Do you know where the towels are at Miss Amnesia Butterfly?”

A deep blush came over Star’s face. For some reason the idea of seeing Marco nude made her tingle. She pushed those thoughts away for now, as other matters were pressing in her mind.

“Get out of the bathroom so I can dry off.”

Nodding, Marco walked out of the bathroom and pulled the door nearly closed. “I’m going into the living room. We’ll grab some food after you get ready.”

Star stood alone in the bathroom, looking at the reflection that stared back from the mirror. She began to make various faces into it, hoping to see someone she recognized stare back.



“How do I look?” Star said while she walked into the apartment’s small living room from the bedroom an hour later. She wore a sleeveless light blue dress. The hem stopped above her knees. Clouds and stars with smiley faces were randomly spaced around the dress.

Laying across a dark gray couch that sat in the middle of the room, Marco watched a large flat screen television that was mounted on the opposite wall. He sat up and looked back at her. “You’re looking good, took you long enough.” A smile took over his face. “I haven’t seen you wear anything like that since we were in school.”

“You try getting dressed in a room that you’re not familiar with or have no clue where anything’s at.” Star went over to a bookcase that was against a nearby wall. Pictures of various sizes were placed in front of books. Each picture was of an event that was unknown to her. There they were graduating from high school, on what she assumed were dates, out with Marco’s parents and her Father at a beach. A frown developed as she looked at each picture. Her stomach grumbled, snapping her back into reality. “Okay, enough sad time. Where are we eating at as I’m starving?”

Getting off the couch, Marco walked over and grabbed a red hoodie that was laying over the back of a recliner chair. “Well, the idea was to celebrate your win last night. That’s why I had the alarm on my phone go off. How about Lumber Jim’s Lodge of Breakfast? All you can eat pancakes until noon.”

Smiling at hearing that, Star walked over to a door. “Yes! I still love pancakes, that means future me didn’t lose my hunger!”

Slipping on the red hoodie, Marco walked in the opposite direction to another door. “Star, that’s the closet. Not the front door.”

End of Chapter 02