Diaz Plan Chapter 19

Mrs. Diaz, Janna and Star ran through the forest, breathless, not stopping until the roaring inferno that had been the Poyle's farm was just a twinkle in the distance. Even then, they could hear the roars and mad babbling of the thing Ferguson had become, echoing to them from the distance, nightmare whispers carried by the wind.

When they finally came to a stop, it was in a clearing provided by some crumbling stone ruins. They were gasping for breath, freezing from their sweat and the night wind. They collapsed, and Janna immediately slumped against a wall, drew her knees into her chest, and began sobbing.

"Janna," Star wheezed, "What's wrong?"

"Marco, I had to leave Marco-"

"WHAT?!" cried Mrs. Diaz, grabbing a hold of Janna's shoulders, as Star sank to her knees, a void clawing at her heart. Was he okay?

"I had to leave him behind," sniffled Janna. "That robot was coming for us and Marco just screamed at me to go. I didn't want to leave him behind but there was nothing I could do and that robot probably killed him-"

"No," said Star, unbelieving. "Uncle TickTock wouldn't kill him for no reason. He's...he's alive, I'm sure of it-"

Mrs. Diaz and Janna looked at her with tired, sad eyes. "Star," said Janna, "Your....uncle...just burned down someone's house."

"That's because...he's the Guard Captain, and he was trying to get me," Star said. Oh god, she realized, he was trying to get ME. The Poyles lost their farm and might be hurt or worse because of her. They might be dead.

"It seemed like he was trying to kill you," said Mrs. Diaz. "He nearly impaled you with that pitchfork."

Star shuddered at the memory of the pitchfork TickTock had flung at her, how it had traveled through the air so fast that it was almost as if it teleported from his hand to the tree, mere inches from her head, thrumming. "No," she said firmly. "He wouldn't do that. He's our Guard Captain, I've known him since I was little. He just thought he was trying to save me. He might even hurt me if he thought it was for my own good, but he wouldn't kill me." She took Mrs. Diaz's hands. "You'll see. I know exactly what Uncle TickTock is going to do next. He knows Marco is your son, since you shouted it out. He's smart, he'll take Marco hostage-"

"Oh, wonderful," said Mrs. Diaz.

"And then he'll make a trade. Once we get to Mr. Diaz, he'll trade Marco to you guys in return for me." Tears welled up in Star's eyes. "And then you can go home."

Mrs. Diaz sighed. "I hope you're right," she said. "Because if Marco gets hurt..." She shrugged, and looked at the gigantic burning eye in the sky. Star understood the message. There would be no stopping Mr. Diaz.

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They decided to walk through the night. After the disaster at the farm, none of them could sleep anyway.

They were closer than ever to the Necromancer's tower. The forest they traveled through was regularly dotted with old, worn ruins of white stone. As they walked, Janna explained to them how she, Marco and Ferguson had come to Mewni.

"I hope you didn't get...TOO much blood in the living room," said Mrs. Diaz when she heard of the spell ritual Janna had used.

Star watched Janna closely while she was talking. Though this was no time to be thinking of it, she remembered how Marco had told her how Janna had kissed him and flashed him. She watched as Janna's eyes twinkled when she spoke of Marco, though it was hidden behind a pall of sadness.

What had happened while she was with him? Star didn't believe nothing had happened. Star was surprised to find jealousy welling up within her, along with anger at Marco. Why was she angry at him? He hadn't done anything. Besides, maybe nothing had happened. The way Janna described it, Marco had been very worried the entire time. He would have been too worried for anything to happen with Janna, and she would never be so callous as to take advantage of his emotional state. Or would she?

Star kept her mouth shut while Janna offered Mrs. Diaz reassurances about her son. But when they stopped to rest, and Janna wandered away into the forest, Star followed her, silently.

Janna walked until she was out of hearing distance of Mrs. Diaz, then sat down and leaned against a tree, sighing and staring off into the distance. Star was about to approach her when Janna called out "I know you're there, Star."

Star shrugged and sat down next to Janna. They held their silence for a few moments. "So, this is your world, huh?" said Janna. "Seems violent."

"It's, uh...not always this bad," replied Star. Although honestly, that wasn't necessarily true. Mewni was a pretty brutal medieval world. The silence came back, stretched on. "Janna-" Star said, breaking the silence.

"You know, Marco was so worried about you," Janna said, speaking over Star, still staring out into the distance. "I mean, he was worried about his parents, too. But when he talked about you, he got this frantic look in his eyes. I could tell it made him panic, thinking about you." She shook her head. "All I wanted to do was take his mind off you. He was worrying himself to death."

Star wasn't sure how to feel about that. Part of her hated that she had caused Marco such worry. Part of her liked it, though, and she wasn't certain why.

Janna sniffled, and all of a sudden Star became aware that she was crying. "You know," said Janna, "I kept thinking how odd it is. I've known him for so much longer than you, but I bet I could never make him panic like that. I could never hurt him like that. The way you do without even trying." Suddenly she gave a miserable laugh. "It's not fair. God, he's such an idiot, the way he ran in to try and save you. I hope he's okay."

Star was a little frightened. She was on thin emotional ice here, she realized. She didn't understand what Janna was feeling, and she didn't know what to say about most of it. But she could recognize her concern for Marco. "Oh, Janna, don't worry," she said, "I'm sure Marco will be fine..." And Star was sure. No matter how badly he had been hurt, there would be healing magic at the castle that could help him.

She tried to put her arm around Janna, and the girl slapped her hand away. "Don't touch me," she snapped. "God, how can you be so...unconcerned about him? He is such an idiot. Throwing his life away, and here you are. 'He'll be okay.' UGH, I can't believe this." Janna stomped away, and Star didn't follow her. How could she explain? How could she explain that if she gave into her fears about Marco right now, she wouldn't even be able to walk? That she'd collapse and wouldn't be able to get up?

They both returned to Mrs. Diaz, and continued marching through the forest.

The burning eye loomed ever larger, ever more malevolent in the sky, a glimpse of Mr. Diaz's fury. For the first time, Star found herself wondering exactly how powerful Mr. Diaz might be. Before, she had been confident that if it came to a fight between Mr. Diaz and her mother, with the aid of the wand, her mother would easily win. But seeing that eye up close - that pulsing, roaring flame, the baking heat beating down on the landscape - she began to wonder.

Finally, just as dawn was beginning to break, they came across a set of stairs carved into a mountain path, framed by an arch in the shape of a yawning skull.

At the top of the mountain loomed the Necromancer's tower.