Chapter Text
The day was going well until the princess disappeared.
It was Star’s 14th birthday and the day of a special ceremony, the day Queen Moon would give Star a family heirloom. A relic passed from generation to generation for centuries, the royal magic wand. But when the staff discovered the princess was not in her room, they were too intimidated by the queen to tell her, so their only solution was to find the girl before the ceremony. Easy as pie, right? Well, not exactly, because the only place they could think of where she would be was a place no one else would dare enter.
Outside the borders of Butterfly Queendom lies the Forest of Certain Death. A name that fits accurately due to the carnivorous plants and the monsters that lurk there. At the moment, deep in the forest, a young girl was fighting off an army of monsters. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink hearts on her cheeks. The colorful cheek marks proved to the monsters that she was of the House Butterfly and was important enough to kill. But despite their efforts, the monsters could barely touch her. Even though she was in a fancy blue dress and wearing a tiara, she was kicking their butts.
But the girl’s fun was interrupted by a buzz from her mirror compact. She kept her guard up as she pulled the mirror out of her pocket and opened it, punching a monster that was trying to get near her without looking away. Her heart dropped as she saw the reminder. ‘Wand Ceremony. Now.’ “…Oh no, I’m late!” Princess Star closed her compact and took off back toward the castle. A red two-headed monster yelled, “After her!!” and the monster army gave chase. Star noticed the monsters were after her and tried to look at her surroundings to find a faster way home. That’s when she saw a wild Warnicorn drinking from a stream and got an idea.
Star climbed into a nearby tree and ripped a vine from it. As she heard the monsters closing in, she jumped from the branch and stuffed the vine into the Warnicorn’s mouth as she landed on its back. (Keep in mind that Star’s ideas were never usually good ones.) The horse whinnied in terror and stood on its hind legs, but Star held onto the vine. As the horse stood back on all fours, it took off running. Star used the vine as reins and pulled harshly in her desired direction. The Warnicorn had to obey because it couldn’t shake her off. After about a minute, Star and the Warnicorn were in sync. She rode to the castle, leaving the monsters and the Forest of Certain Death behind.
Star arrived late for the ceremony with a torn dress, mud on her shoes, and leaves in her hair. She hopped off the Warnicorn, letting it free to cause havoc in nearby villages, probably, and walked into the castle. Castle staff surrounded the princess, asking where she’d been and if she was OK. Star squeezed past them, yelling, “Sorry, guys, no time!”
As Star ran down the hall and skidded to a stop at the throne room doors, she picked the leaves out of her hair and smeared the excess mud on the carpet. She paused, excited but nervous. Would her mother notice? She hoped not. Star took a deep breath as the guards opened the doors.
The king and queen were in front of their thrones, waiting for their daughter. King River was a short man (a literal short king) with a blonde beard halfway down his chest and blue eyes, which his daughter inherited. Moon was much different. She was tall and skinny, with slightly lighter skin and sky-blue hair, and she kept her style high up. She had light blue eyes and purple diamonds on her cheeks. Cheek marks were a genetic trait of the butterfly women. All past queens had cheek marks of varying colors and shapes.
Star stepped into the room and walked to them. All eyes of Mewnian nobles were on her. They stared at the princess, seeing her torn clothes and messy hair, and judging her. Star didn’t focus on them, only the magic wand in Moon’s hand: a gold scepter with a blue heart-shaped crystal on top. This was the moment Star had been waiting for her whole life. She felt ready.
The princess stopped before her mother, eyeing the wand excitedly, and Moon began her speech. Star didn’t listen. It was something about generations and a new era, and blah blah blah. When Moon finished her speech, she looked down at Star. “Star,” Moon said firmly, which caught the princess’s attention, “this wand is a big responsibility. Not only do you have to master magic with it, but you also must keep it safe from evil forces.”
Star nodded, smiling determinedly. Moon and River looked at each other nervously, then back at Star, and Moon held the wand out to her. As Star excitedly took the wand from her mother, it started to glow in a swirling bright pink light. When the light subsided, the scepter had transformed into a purple wand with a detailed blue center, a golden star-shaped crystal in the middle, and pure white wings on the sides. “Woah..” Star’s eyes lit up as she looked astonished at the wand. Then she quickly looked back up at her mom. “Don’t worry, Mom. I can handle it.” She said with confidence.
Long story short, she couldn’t handle it. When trying a rainbow spell, the rainbow spontaneously combusted, setting some houses ablaze and getting Star in trouble with her parents. They knew she had to be sent away.
“NOOOOOOO!” The princess cried in despair in the throne room. She dropped to her knees in front of her parents. “I can be good! PLEASE! Don’t send me to Saint Olga’s reform school for wayward princesses!” She shrieked. Star had heard rumors from the girls of the other kingdoms of southern Mewni. Rumors of a school where imperfect princesses are sent. And those who go there never come out the same. Visions of stuffy tea party lessons and poised walking in impossibly high heels clouded her mind with fear and darkness-
“Honey, we’re not sending you there.” Her father said. Star paused and looked up at her parents, seeing they were genuine. “Oh” was all she had to say as she stood up again, switching back to her happy, energetic mood. “Yet,” Moon added, which soured the princess’s mood. “We’re sending you to train in a much safer dimension,” River said. “A place called Earth.” “Errrth?” Star repeated in confusion. “Yes, Earth,” Moon responded. “You will train your magical abilities there because it is the safest environment we have found, and you will leave within the week.” Star paused. Even though it wasn’t Saint O’s, she didn’t want to leave. She had to find some excuse to stay longer. “Wait, Mom,” Star said. “Um, will I have time to say goodbye to my friends?” Moon thought about it. “Well, I suppose so.” “Why don’t we make it a party?” River suggested. Star’s eyes light up. “Yes! A going-away party! Please, Mom?” Moon looked at her daughter. “Fine. On condition. You must keep yourself out of trouble.” Star nodded, “I can do that. I promise.”
Meanwhile, deep in the forest of certain death, a dark castle housed many forces of evil. And they were plotting on what to do about this monster-fighting princess. They consulted the master of the house. “Ludo, master,” a frog monster said as he bowed before the large throne that towered over him. “The Butterfly princess has been fighting monsters all over the forest. And now with the wand in her possession, she may be more dangerous.” Ludo paused. “You say the wand is in her possession?” he asked. The frog responded, “Yes, master.” Ludo smiled menacingly, “Excellent..”
Star had gotten everything prepared. The invitations, decorations, food, and her outfit. All she needed were casual outfits for her trip. She figured it would be hard to practice spells in large puffy dresses. So she called the only person she trusted with fashion, her best friend. She was flying Princess Lilacia ponyhead.
Ponyhead arrived in her cloud carriage within minutes. She was a magical floating unicorn head with light teal skin and a pink mane. Where the end of her neck was, sparkles floated out of her body. Her eyes were blue with yellow star-shaped pupils. She was the princess of the cloud kingdom in the sky dimension. Ponyhead and Star have been close friends for a long time. They were both around the same age, with Pony being slightly younger, and they were both the heir to the throne of their respective kingdoms. The girls first met at a royal party. Star, about eight at the time, commented on the other princesses’ jewelry, and the flying princess replied with a comment on Star’s cheekmarks. They kept in contact and became best friends for life, having been very close ever since.
Star climbed into the carriage, and they took off. “Hey, B-fly!” Ponyhead said excitedly. “What do you wanna get? Tell me, girl.” Star replied, “Just some casual clothes. I have too many big dresses.” Ponyhead nods, “Ok, girl. I got you. Now tell me, what’s up with you and Tom? Give me the deets.” Star looked away nervously. “There’s nothing to talk about; we fought and broke up. That’s all.” Pony looked at her friend sympathetically. “I feel you, girl, you talk about it when you’re ready.” She started talking about one of her many exes, as she looked at the small compact mirror in front of her and applied lip gloss with the magic from her horn. Star was a bit jealous of her friend. She was born with magic, and Star had to learn to control hers. “But anyway, anything else new?” Pony asked. “Oh, um…No, not really,” Star replied. She didn’t want to tell her friend the truth about her leaving, because she knew how emotional Pony could get. But she would have to tell her. She couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. ‘I’ll tell her afterward,’ She thought.
Star loved shopping with Pony. She’d always been indecisive, but that was never a problem since the two could get whatever they wanted.
Star excitedly took a bunch of outfits she liked and ran to the dressing room. She didn’t research Earth fashion but assumed that casual dresses and boots would be appropriate. Another thing about shopping with ponyhead, Star could always count on her to know what she looked good in. Star went through many dresses, varying in sizes and colors, and after hours of countless “Nope”s from Pony, Star finally found five outfits. The last was Star’s favorite: a short-sleeved teal dress with a white collar and ruffles, and the image of a small pink octopus on the chest.
After stopping at a few more stores, and Pony getting about 20 bags of stuff for herself that her cloud servant had to carry, Star and her friend stop at the food court to get something to eat. Star got herself some cornbread muffins with a milkshake, while Pony got a tray of sugar cubes.
The girls were enjoying their time together, laughing and gossiping. But then, “We should like, totally do this more often,” Pony said. Star paused, “Uh, yeah…” She ate her muffin. When would she come home? She didn’t know. Pony glared at her friend. “OK, something’s up with you. You’ve been quiet. You’re never quiet.” She hated that her friend was good at reading her. “Uh, can’t it wait until after we’re done shopping?” Star suggested. Ponyhead glared at her, “C’mon B-fly, we’re best-besties, and best-besties tell each other everything.” Star looked her friend in the eyes and sighed in defeat. “OK, fine.” Star took an envelope from her dress pocket and handed it to Pony. She planned on sending it in the mail, but figured it wouldn’t go well if she did. Pony ripped open the envelope with her sharp horn and used magic to pull the paper close to her, then read the paper aloud to herself.
“You are cordially invited to Princess Star Butterfly’s-” Pony gasped loudly, drawing some attention from the others in the food court, “GOING AWAY PARTY!?” Star sighed. She knew Pony would get emotional. “Ponyhead, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner-” Her friend cut her off. “Girl, YES, you should’ve told me! You’re leaving!? Since when? How long will you be gone? Where are you going? Will we still be able to call!?” Ponyhead began to tear up, which was ruining her mascara. Star tried her best to calm her friend, “P-Pony, it’s ok. I’m just staying in a dimension called Earth for my magic training.” Ponyhead started to sob “EARTH!? That stinky dimension with all the monkeys?” Star didn’t know how to respond to that. Was that really what Earth was like? “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” She tried to stay positive like always, but Pony wasn’t having it. “Were you just gonna leave without saying anything to me!?” Pony screamed. Star paused, “W-well, I-” “We’re supposed to be best-besties! I can’t believe you, Star!” After Pony was done yelling, she turned away from Star and floated away, leaving Star alone.
After Star got home, she felt completely miserable. She lay on the floor of her room, just trying to figure out what to do about ponyhead, when she got a knock at her door. “Not now!” she shouted, putting a pillow over her face. Then she heard her mother’s voice. “Star, I want to talk to you.”
Star allowed her mom to enter. Moon came in and sat on the bed next to her. “Star, is something bothering you?” Star nodded. “Yeah, everything is bothering me.” Moon nodded. “I understand this isn’t ideal, but I hope you understand when I say this is the best for everyone,” Star sighed. “Sure, Mom. Sure, it is. Everything is a big mess, and nothing can be done to fix it.” Moon gently touched Star’s shoulder, but Star shifted away. “Star, there’s always a solution. No matter the situation, I find making it up as you go always helps.” Star didn’t respond. Moon quietly got up and walked out of the room.
Star flopped on the floor. She reached under her bed and pulled out a red headband with horns. Tom had gotten it for her as a gift. It still meant a lot to her, even after their fight. “‘Just make it up as you go, Star. ’ Pfft, yeah, that’ll help.” She felt the horns in her hands. Even if she couldn’t forgive Tom, she didn’t have to hide her love for this accessory. She could put the history behind her as she put on the headband.
The party was underway. Everyone Star knew was there: her cousins, friends from other kingdoms, and kids from noble houses. She never really got along with the noble kids; they always avoided her for some reason. She suspected they would talk smack about her behind her back. It seemed as though every noble child from all over mewni was here, except Ponyhead. But someone was there, someone she didn’t want to see. Tom, her ex-boyfriend, and the prince of the Lucitor kingdom. He was a demon with light purple skin, pink hair, and three red eyes. As soon as she noticed him, she immediately hid under a table. “Why is he here?” she whispered to herself. She didn’t even send an invite to him. She didn’t want to be at this party anymore.
Star managed to sneak her way to the exit and ran out the doors, down the hall, and out the front door. She needed fresh air. She closed the front doors and sat down, taking a deep breath. “…Ugh.. Why does everything have to suck so much?” she said to herself.
Suddenly, she could hear footsteps approaching her. She looked into the foggy distance, it sounded like an army was coming. She stood up and held out her wand defensively.
“Hello princess,” a shrill voice said from the darkness. “It’s a pleasure to meet you face-to-face.” The one who approached her was a short little green bird monster with a skull on his head and a large staff in his hand, as if they made him more intimidating. “Uh, who are you?” Star asked. “I am Ludo Avarius,” the bird monster responded. “And I am here for that wand of yours.”
Star stared at him for a moment. She knew the name Ludo. She knew he was a master over various monsters and had tried to steal the wand when it was her mom’s countless times. But meeting Ludo face to face, Star couldn’t believe it. She started laughing, “You’re Ludo?” she snorted, “No offense, but I thought you’d be…taller?”
Ludo glared up at her. “Yes, I know, laugh it off. But what I lack in height, I make up for in power!” One of the monsters grabbed Star’s arm. Star immediately kicked him away, but she soon found herself surrounded. She backed against the door in fear, “G-Guards! Guards!!” She shouted.
“Hand over the wand, Star Butterfly, and no one has to get hurt. I know you’re not skilled with magic, I’d be happy to take it off your hands,” Ludo said with the evilest smile Star had ever seen. She had to do something, she had to get them away. She held up her wand, and words spilled out, “Rainbow fist punch!” Suddenly, a large multicolored hand shot out of her arm and punched the monster in front of her in the face.
She just did magic. A spell that didn’t go wrong. The other monsters seemed as shocked as she did. ‘Just make it up as you go,’ her mother had said. Star smirked and said the first words that came to her mind: “Crystal cupcake blast!” The monsters surrounding her got hit with a wave of hard and sharp crystals shaped like cupcakes.
“Don’t just stand there you morons! GET HER!” Ludo shouted. The monsters advanced, Star had managed to kick a few back, and dodge a few punches and grabs. Then, a frog monster approached her from behind and pinned her arms to her sides .“HEY! LET GO!” The monster pushed her towards Ludo, who held his hand out to grab the wand. “Yes…YES…” Star struggled in his grasp.
Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and some guards came out. “They’ve got the princess!” One yelled. Ludo put his staff up to Star’s neck. “That’s right! We have the princess, and if you take another step, she gets it. What are you going to do now!?” He taunted them. The guards stood defensively. Star couldn’t have these guards get hurt. They were her babysitters her whole life. They practically raised her as much as her parents did. She aimed her wand at the ground, and it began to shimmer as she yelled. “CATERPILLAR CATACLYSM!!”
With the force of the blast, Star was shot up into the air, and the monsters were blown back across the lawn. It was so bright that Moon could see it from her tower window. When the blast of energy faded, Star fell and landed with a thud on a pile of large, fuzzy caterpillars. She sat up and admired how adorable they were. The monsters were left stunned and disoriented, with caterpillars adorably crawling all over them.
The monsters soon got their bearings, and the guards ran in to attack. “Retreat! RETREAT!” Ludo screeched. And the monsters got up and ran away screaming, with the guards giving chase. One of the other guards helped her up. “Are you ok, Princess?” She asked. Star nodded, “Yeah, I’m ok. Thanks.” “Let’s get you back to the party. There’s someone there who wants to see you.” The guard said. Star forgot the reason she came outside in the first place: to get away from Tom. She tried to refuse. “Oh no no no no no no I’m good thanks-” The guard picked up the princess and threw her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Star was dropped off back in the ballroom, where she saw a crowd of people turn to face her. “Oh, goddess help me..” she muttered. She was not ready to face him yet. A person shoved their way through the crowd. “Move it, everybody!” Star blinked. That wasn’t Tom’s voice. It was
Suddenly, Star was face to face with the flying unicorn princess whom she called her best friend. “Ponyhead!?” Ponyhead nodded. “Yes, it’s me. Listen B-fly. I’m sorry about what I said to you. It was wrong of me. So I came here to make it up to you by showing you this.” She flipped her mane and revealed that on each side of her neck, she now had tattoos. Neck Tattoos were very important in Ponyhead culture, they only got them when they discovered something truly special to their soul. And Pony’s tattoos that she revealed were little pink hearts, the same symbols as Star’s cheek marks.
Star gasped, “Pony…You got your tattoos of…me?” Pony nodded firmly. “Yes. Because, you-” She couldn’t keep her composure anymore, and she started crying. Rainbow tears ran down her face, ruining her mascara. She sniffled, “You’re part of my soul, Star!” Star felt herself also starting to tear up. “Oh Pony!” She hugged her friend. “I’m gonna miss you so much!” Pony rested her chin on Star’s shoulder as she cried. Everyone around them let out an ‘aww’ at their show of affection. Star looked around, realizing Tom wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He must’ve left at some point.
Star smiled softly, with her arms around her best friend, surrounded by friends and cousins. She didn’t know when she would see them again, but she was happy.
The monsters made it back to Ludo’s dark castle, having their butts officially handed to them. They stumbled into the castle, exhausted and sore. Ludo paced around the corridor. “I can’t believe this, stupid princess, stupid guards. Stupid, Stupid! STUPID!” He turned to the frog monster behind him. “Buff frog!” He yelled. Buff frog stood up straight. “Yes, master?” “We cannot go into these battles unprepared. I am appointing you as the official… uhh…” He struggled to think of a name for his henchman’s new position. “Princess…watcher! Yes, that sounds good. You will keep an eye on Star Butterfly and inform me when the time is right to strike.” Buff frog nodded and saluted, “Yes, master.” Ludo grinned, “Excellent..”