Author's Note. Another chapter... How do I keep writing? Hell, if I know. I just do, and this stuff comes out of my addled brain because I am a talentless weirdo. Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess... for the end draws nigh.
Warning for sum bad language that is relevant to the subtext of the story, so I will not be justifying it publically because my readers are smart enough to understand subtext.
Please. Remember to vote on chapters if you like my story, as it tells other readers of its quality and helps more people see my work. Thank you kindly.
Cover image commissioned and drawn by NamelessHiredArtist. https://www.deviantart.com/namelesshiredartist
Please go and view their art and commission them. They have incredible talent, and I was lucky to have them draw anything for me.
Star stood at the boundary of the knight's brigade. She and Cloudy had rushed her mother to the doors of Mewni castle, and it was now time for her to deal with the tree-like abomination being fought by the royal guard.
Late-morning had fast approached, and her knights were holding back the beast as best as they could.
The malevolent creature stomped and swiped at the soldiers mercilessly as it tried to make its way towards its intended target. Vines from the corrupt forest crawled about the ground behind it, accelerating the growth of the woods.
Several of the men retreated due to injury, then the back lines set their arrows aflame in an attempt to burn down the monstrosity and its home.
Star stepped forward with her wand in hand, and the soulless creature roared. Its splintered teeth showing from its agape mouth.
When the arrows set it aflame, it seemed relatively unconcerned. It merely swiped its now flaming appendage around like a massive torch. The frontline knights screamed loudly while the field they stood upon was scorched and set ablaze.
When they all fell back and retreated for their lives, Star moved forward with her wand clenched tightly in her hand and shouted towards the flaming beast.
"ENOUGH!!! I will not tolerate this any longer! If you want me, then try and get me!"
The creature roared again, and each stomp of its massive feet shook the ground beneath Star's feet. She held her breath and puffed out her cheeks in an attempt to calm her nerves, after which she held her wand up.
"Cupcake Blast!" She shouted.
Within seconds, dozens of glittering cupcakes appeared. They were sent forward at break-neck speeds after a moment, leaving behind them a dazzling spectacle of colored light.
The treeant lumbered and appeared too slow to dodge the fast-moving cupcakes. A second later, it lifted the palm of its wooden claw as if attempting to shield itself.
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
Five...
One after the other, cupcake after cupcake detonated upon impact. It groaned, and splinters began flying everywhere. Plumes of smoke puffed up and clouded its form from view.
Star waited apprehensively for the onslaught to finish. When she felt the lumbering vibration under her feet, she knew it had not fallen.
Once clear of the blast zone, the creature stomped forward, and where it had been hit, it was missing chunks of its body and was smoldering. The claw that had been used to defend itself had been completely obliterated. It stomped again once more, drawing ever closer to Star.
Star's eyes squinted, and she whispered to herself under her breath. "Okay... You want to play rough... I'll give you a real explosion this time..."
With a wave of her wand, the knights even remotely close to her began to flee. "Back towards the castle area, men! The princess is using powerful magic!"
Magical energy enveloped Star's body, and she started to float inches above the ground.
STOMP!
The creature was just before her, and it was raising its gigantic claw to crush her like a pathetic insect.
Star concentrated hard and gritted her teeth, letting all the power build within her body.
The treeant brought its lumbering fist down with all of its weight behind it—the creaking and snapping of wood echoing over the now desolate field.
"Cataclysmic Total Extinction Death Blast!!!!" She screamed.
The wand made a sound and began to shake so hard in her hand that it was difficult to hold. Pinkish purple beams started drawing into the center of the wand, and after but a second, they began to pour back out.
The treeant stopped its assault as if surprised and instantly became enveloped in a pinkish purple explosion of pure energy. It was as if a miniature nuclear bomb was set off at Star's point of origin and slowly began to expand outward.
The dazzling display blinded the knights in the distance and continued traveling into a portion of the forest. Trees and vines were disintegrated upon impact, and by the time the magical blast had reached its limit. It slowly began to retract and go in reverse until it was wholly returned to the wand that had released it.
In all directions around Star lie utter destruction, and part of the forest had been damaged severely. The vines seemed to slink away in self-preservation before her might. The knights from far behind whistled and cheered for their princess, and the lumbering tree that dare threaten her became nothing more than a memory.
"Three cheers for princess Star!" The knight commander shouted, and then a roar of happiness overcame the soldiers.
Star landed on her knees and took shallow breaths because of how bad she felt over the amount of energy she had expended to do that. She knew that she could have expended everything she had to eradicate the forest itself, but doing so would lead to endless death and destruction for her own people, especially those trapped within it.
After a moment, Star regained her composure, and her knights had rejoined her in the small crater she sat on her knees inside of.
"Are you alright, milady?" The knight commander asked.
Star nodded quietly and then took a closer look at the forest. A good several feet had been shaved off of it, and she could tell it ceased to grow outward.
"Splendid work, your highness, you've accomplished in one act, what the rest of us failed to do in several hours."
Star stood shakily and tried to walk forward but was unsteady on her feet. Her disorganized walking prompting the knight commander to grab hold of her arm gently.
"Hold, dear princess. Where are you going in such a condition? You look exhausted."
Star let out a breath and then answered quietly. "Marco..."
Just as the commander was about to protest, the dark shadowy form of a dark creature floated a ways away from Star. The forest had receded behind it, and it stared with its white orb-like eyes.
The second Star saw the creature, she froze, as did her entourage. After a second to collect her thoughts, she yelled out to the monster.
"You... You witch! If you harmed Marco... Then... Then what I do will not be pretty!"
The ghastly creature seemed amused and reached out its clawed appendage. "The traveler is safe, and of no concern, for it is Mewman blood I come to take... Retribution for crimes unpunished."
Star was uncertain of what it spoke of, and the creature merely continued to speak. "Tis funny how familiar this is... It is as if relived, though, this time... I shall not be what is to perish."
Star clenched her wand and was ready to begin an assault despite her tiredness. The creature stared and then spoke again.
"Struggle if you must, you have but halted progress for but a moment in time... Soon all shall be set right." With that, it held up its shadow claws, and the darkened sky began to rumble.
Flashes of thunder lit the area around, and the rain began to pour down in large quantities. The more rain that fell, the harder it became to see the creature through it. When Star took her eyes off it to check the knights at her side and then returned her gaze, she could no longer see it.
The forest seemed as if it were mending the destruction Star had caused, and she now understood that the witch needed to repair the damage before expanding its reach once more.
The men and women looked at each other, and then the knight commander spoke. "I know not what devil that creature is... But, dear princess, allow us to go forward on your behalf. It is imperative you regain your strength if we are to overcome such a thing."
Star shook her head reluctantly and answered back. "I can't.. Marco might still need me no matter what was claimed, and the wit..."
"Nonsense, your highness!" The commander interrupted and shifted his body so that he stood in front of her. "We would never leave our brothers in arms to that wretched forest or that cruel monstrosity. Allow us to go confront the being and retrieve our brethren in your stead."
Star stared and then eventually nodded. Feeling strangely ill, she felt that she needed to take a break for a moment. She thought briefly and then spoke to the commander. "Alright... but avoid the vines... they sap your strength if they touch you. If the creature itself confronts you... run."
The knight brigade drew their weapons, and the commander held his sword forward. "Worry not, you have opened the path for action, and we will not squander this time."
Star took one last look at the forest through the pouring rain and watched the plethora of knight's entering. She was worried for them but held out hope Marco and the sleeping guardsmen were really okay and would be returned in short order without incident.
Once Star had returned to the castle, she found that those taking refuge were now organized in an orderly fashion. They were being directed into long lines by the castle guard, and they all seemed to be ultimately in shock.
When Star dragged her tired and soaked body around the corner to head towards the throne room. She saw Hekapoo standing at the front of the line of peasants. She appeared overworked and stressed but rather happy to see Star was well.
"I'd heard that you'd run out to the forest with Marco... I felt bad because I was missing the action, but now that I see you, I can tell things went well." Hekapoo said.
Star watched her while she raised a pair of scissors and sliced through the air, creating a portal.
"What are you doing?" Star asked gently, somewhat avoiding the topic of Marco for now.
Hekapoo breathed in and grinned despite her evident exhaustion. "Well, when Queen Moon woke up to the little weed problem, I was immediately told to scout for places to hide out, should things get bad."
Star blinked as Hekapoo started waving her hand to tell the knights to let people go through the portal she created. After that, she continued.
"Seems like whatever you two saw in the forest had Moon spooked, and she sounded the evacuation order for the citizens almost immediately."
Star now understood how dire things were if her mom was having people flee from this world already. It appeared that Hekapoo had become the caretaker and shepherd of the people. Simultaneously, the rest of the castle was likely to try and combat the evil encroaching enemy.
"Stay safe, Hekapoo... Try not to overwork yourself..." Star eventually said, obviously disoriented and looking sick.
Hekapoo waved her hand as if it didn't matter and shot her a sly smile. "Same to you. You look as tired as I am, so don't overdo it."
Star nodded and turned away from Hekapoo to leave, but then stopped as soon as she heard her call.
"Hey, Star!"
Star turned and looked at Hekapoo. "?"
"Whenever Marco is done whatever he is doing now, send him to me. I could use a second person opening portals down here."
Star was quiet and then just nodded. After which, she returned to going about her business. She kept faith Marco was fine, but part of her was feeling terrible for letting him convince her to break apart. Still, her mother was completely safe because of it, which was possibly the most essential thing in all of this.
As soon as Star made her way to the throne room. She was swamped by Tom asking if she was okay, and Kelly seemed to be completely lost in thought. It was clear there was worry for Marco, but she also hadn't seemed like herself for some time now.
Moon sat atop her throne resting, while River tried to make her comfortable. As of now, she appeared to be sleeping, so drained of her energy she had been.
"Geez, Star, you look beat... Did those vines grab ahold of you too?" Tom asked.
Star shook her head "no," as water dripped from her hair, and then Kelly chimed in. "Is Marco okay? Did he return?"
Star again quietly shook her head "no," and then answered with positivity. "I... Marco is competent and likely fine; the knights are heading into the forest to retrieve him and likely the others... The magic I used seemed to halt the forest for a time, but I do not know for how long."
"Oh..." Kelly murmured quietly. It was clear she wasn't as positive as Star. Still, she seemed to be holding out hope as she walked away from her and hung by the door to look for him.
Tom scratched his head. "What do we do, Star? Things are horrible... When your mom returned, she could barely move. She immediately called for an evacuation, not just of the castle, but of this world, and then passed out."
Star felt terrible, and it must have come across clear on her face because Tom took hold of her wet body and hugged her tightly.
"Things'll work out, Star... I swear it."
Star smiled and leaned into him and his comforting warmth. After which, he escorted her to the empty second throne and allowed her to sit.
River smiled joyously to see her take a seat and walked over to grab hold of her hand. "I'm so proud of you dear, you returned your mother and bought us precious time... I... I know things look bad, but we will pull through this."
Star smiled at her father and leaned back into the throne. Her mind tiredly drifting off to all the things that had happened in such a short time. Her eyes slowly glancing about until they settled on Kelly by the door, looking pensive, if not forlorn.
There was resentment in Star's heart for her, as the more time that passed, the more pain she felt over Marco's absence. No matter what was done or what had happened, the heart wanted it what it wanted, and Star found that in Marco's selfless act, she still loved him deeply.
With her thoughts listlessly wandering, she shut her eyes and took in a calming breath. Her exhaustion was so intense that she found keeping her eyes open an impossibility.
What was wrong with her? She'd never felt so terrible after using magic before, even strong spells.
The more she fought it, the more she was succumbing to it, and then eventually, she allowed it to slowly shut down her body. Perhaps resting her eyes for a moment would help her feel better, but the second she made that choice, she was already gone.
"Dang!" Marco shouted, hearing Janna's voicemail again.
He slammed the house phone down onto its base and stormed his way into the kitchen. He quickly began ripping open drawers and pulling out loose paper, as well as all kinds of small trinkets.
Marco tossed the useless stuff to the floor and glanced over the spare paper for phone numbers.
"No..." Marco crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor.
"No!" Marco became upset at the next piece and tossed it to the side.
He frantically moved over to the fridge and analyzed the sticky notes.
"No..." Marco said in an almost defeated tone. He knew that his parents had to have Star's number somewhere, but with them not being there, he felt lost as to where to start looking.
He quickly moved away from the fridge and went back to the living room phone. After looking down at it, he felt foolish for not physically remembering her number and leaving it as a job for his contacts.
"What am I going to do?" He murmured, after which he paced back into the kitchen that he had torn apart.
Staring as if in a stupor, he found himself at a loss. All he could think about was his own greed and his own hatred for his circumstances. The witch had sent him here, and in a way, it was almost a crueler punishment than sucking the life from him.
His friends... Those he loved, they were in grave danger, and he felt nothing but anguish over the uncertainty.
Marco stomped his foot, and the angrier he grew, the more unhinged he became. He grabbed hold of a kitchen knife from the countertop set and violently stabbed the air with it in an act of sheer desperation.
...
"I know not of what dimensional scissors are, but I can surmise it is some trinket designed to do magic for you."
"Rrrr!" He growled in a rage, remembering Kiel's mocking words, and stabbed at the air again.
Nothing happened, and every time Marco stabbed the air, it only fueled his rampage further.
One...
Two...
Three...
Marco swung until his arm was sore and his face was sweating.
...
"Magic is an art that can be accomplished without the need for useless junk."
The words of Kiel kept echoing through his mind, and a hatred completely overtook Marco. He wanted help, he needed help, and he was forsaken by the "legendary hero." His friends might be dead, and he truly felt the helplessness.
"Ahhhhh!" Marco yelled in frustration and threw the kitchen knife as hard as he could, having grown tired of his foolish attempts.
It traveled about halfway towards the wall and then implanted itself in the empty space in the center of the kitchen.
Marco blinked in surprise, seeing the knife handle sticking out of nothing, and the blade was completely missing.
"I..." Hope began welling up inside Marco's heart, and he grabbed hold of the knife handle. With a mighty pull, he ripped it out, revealing a strangely colored tear in the fabric of his dimension.
"This is it! I can go back to help!" Marco felt happiness and replanted the knife back into the tear.
Once he was sure it was in, he pulled downward, and it tore open a portal in his very kitchen. It was a deep crimson color, much different than the ones the scissors produced.
Marco, in his excitement, dropped his knife and stared at his shaking hands.
"I did it..."
With a deep breath, he looked into the swirling vortex and then wondered if it was safe to go in at all.
"Does it lead to Mewni?" He questioned himself. He had been so distracted by rage that the portal could lead anywhere.
Marco rubbed his arm and then sighed, finding some calmness after the stressful feelings took over him.
"C'mon Marco... They need you, so go in and accept your fate." He told himself.
With little time to reconsider, Marco leaped into the portal, and no sooner had he done so, did it close behind him. Leaving nothing but a messy kitchen and a knife lying about the center of the floor.
...
...
"Star...?"
...
...
...
"You okay?"
...
...
...
...
"Star!" Tom's loud voice entered her ears.
"Mmm... Hm?" She made noises while slowly opening her eyes.
"Tom?"
Tom looked worried and then glanced behind himself briefly. "Star... Thank the devil, you are awake... Things are serious..."
Star sat up groggily and looked around herself. The torches dimply lit the shadowy throne room, and she could see her mother awake and sitting beside her on the second throne.
"Mom?"
"What's going on?"
Her mother said nothing, and Tom looked at Kelly, who was leaning against the wall. Her armor shimmering against the dancing flames.
"Star..." Tom began. "The knights sent for Marco never returned, and worse yet, the forest has claimed all of the outside and perimeter forces in the past few hours.
"Hours?" Star said in shock.
Tom looked sad and then nodded. "Yeah, when the forest began proliferating, we tried to wake you and Moon, but neither of you would respond at all... Hekapoo was eventually forced to flee with the remaining citizens."
Moon looked over and could see her daughter's distress, then chimed in. "It is those vines... They incapacitate as well as drain magical energy..."
"But I..." Star was about to claim she hadn't been grabbed until she remembered that moment in the forest one had grabbed hold of her briefly.
"I felt fine until I used magic..." Star trailed off as she tried to put the pieces together.
Moon sighed and tiredly forced herself to her feet. "The vines can incapacitate anybody but are insidiously designed to siphon the power from magical entities and people." She turned to stand in front of Star.
"Likely, when you reach a certain threshold of depleted magic, drowsiness is triggered when you would not be able to put up a defense... They work in tandem to steal your magic and induce sleep."
Star thought and then realized that she likely hit that threshold when she used that powerful spell, and it induced a mild coma-like state.
"I..." Star tried to find words but was unable to.
Moon shook her head, then rubbed her daughter's cheek. "Star... I... I am still too weak to fight and lucky enough to be awake at all. We are all here together, and the castle is secure for the time being, but I fear it won't last long."
Star shook her head and answered back. "What are you saying?"
Moon looked back at the barricaded doors, then to the blotted-out windows encased in vines. "I am saying if things go bad, and should I fall... I want you to flee."
Star angrily stood up and glared at her mother, both still exhausted from their earlier ordeal. "No way, mom! I will NEVER do that, EVER!"
"Star... Please lis..." Moon began but was cut off by Star.
"No, mom, we are not abandoning anything! We have to put a stop to this... this thing!"
A hush came over Moon, and River was stroking his beard quietly near where Moon had been resting. In the silence, they began to hear odd and frighting sounds echoing through the throne room.
With the straining of wood and the cracking of glass, the darkness was all around, and as if on cue, the sounds of yelling and screaming could be heard from the other side of the throne room door.
The last defense had been breached, and everyone in the room felt the terror. The dark entity's might pressing forward into safety as the windows burst, and the forest itself grew into the room.
Without a moment to spare, Tom grabbed hold of the disoriented Star and started to push her towards the door.
"Tom... What are you?" Star said, placing her hand on her forehead.
"Go Star... I will draw the attention of the creature... You and your mom take refuge somewhere else in the castle." He said to her, knowing that she still needed time to orient and recover.
Moon was silent, but Star started to protest, even as the vines began creeping towards the door as if to bar the exit.
Kelly breathed in heavily and drew her blade. "C'mon, this isn't a good place! We need to keep moving so we aren't trapped!"
Tom pushed Star again, and River kicked open the door to the hallway, which was already becoming overgrown. "Come, Dear... We need to try and fight back any way we can, and your mother needs a bit more time."
Tom held his hand up and confidently smiled. "Don't worry about me Star, if things get hairy, I can easily descend to the underworld and escape."
Star now realized that Tom was just playing bait and intended to entirely duck out of harm's way at the precise moment. Quickly, before taking off, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Be safe, Tom..."
Kelly was first out the door, then Moon, after that Star and River went. Once they were free of the room, they took one last look at Tom.
"Thanks for giving us more time to figure a way to deal with this awful creature," Moon said.
River nodded, and with his meaty hands, tore off his clothes, revealing his barbarian loin underneath. "Behind me! I will tear my way through!"
Kelly began swinging her sword at the vines trying to draw near but started swinging elsewhere when they leaped at her to grab her.
"Come on!!!!"
With that, the four ran down the infested hallway, tearing their way through as best they could. Along the way, they gathered any still standing knight to help break through.
...
Once they had all disappeared into the darkness, the wooden doors slammed shut, and the vines rapidly grew over it, sealing Tom inside like it were a tomb.
Tom stood quietly and balled his hands into fists while the horrific sounds of chaos from the other side of the door continued.
After a moment, the vines barring the broken windows peeled aside, and the throne room became lit with iridescent moonlight that shined from betwixt the endless sea of trees and storm clouds. A ghastly flying creature that was but a mere silhouette against it floated on high and spoke hauntingly to him for the first time.
"Demon... begone with you... Flee back from whence you came, so that I may pay that which is owed."
Tom felt the chill wind mixed with light rain blow, and the torches snuffed out, leaving nothing but the moonlight as a spotlight upon him. He pointed his finger at her and bared his demon fangs angrily.
"No! Not after everything you have done! I will stop you from hurting those I care about, and I refuse to run from the likes of you!"
The creature held out its shadowy claw and scowled at him. "Fool... Rebuking my benevolence shall be the last mistake you shall ever live to make."
Tom screamed in a rage as the room became heated, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The ground beneath him began to crack and crumble until the flames of hell sprung forth, encasing Tom within.
"Come get me, ghost!"
The creature hissed with joyous laughter, and dark magical energy began to flow from its body and gather within its claw. "Interesting fell magics you possess. I cannot wait to claim them as my own."
With defiant strength, Tom floated off the ground and towards the witch. Then readied himself to do whatever was necessary to get even with the disgusting abomination.
...
...
"Where am I...?"
...
...
"Do I even exist any longer?"
Marco swirled and flailed endlessly while toppling in the endless vortex. Time and reality felt as if it ceased, and he could not even begin to understand where he was headed. The redundant redness all around him driving him to near madness.
The longer he fell, the quicker it seemed he went, and as he began to fall at meteoric speed, he felt the realistic fear of having made a terrible choice. Marco opened his mouth to shout, but no sound came out, and his muteness caused him to tightly shut his eyes.
Swirling dizziness and endless falling... Quicker still, he went, all the way up until he could no longer feel his own physical body. It tingled, and then he reached a point where he ceased to feel the falling itself. Still too fearful of opening his eyes, he tried to let out another scream.
"Ahhhh!" The sound echoed as if in a confined space.
Just as quickly as he let the loud shout out of his mouth, he heard a stern and gruff yell answer his scream.
"Shut the hell up!"
...
...
Marco sat there in silence and could hear nothing. Eventually, the feeling in his body returned, and he could tell he was planted firmly on something tangible. With apprehension, Marco opened his eye to peek about. Though it was slightly blurry, he could almost immediately tell he was in a shack.
Kiel's shack, to be precise.
...
When his vision adjusted and eventually returned. He could see that he was sitting atop Kiel's dining table, with Kiel glaring at him from his place by the fire.
"I... uh... Sorry..." Marco said, sheepishly, though endlessly thankful he landed in a place he at least knew.
Kiel stepped forward and slammed his left hand on the table, causing Marco to jump.
"Why is it you refuse to let me alone?! Go die with the rest of your ilk!" He berated him.
"I... I am sorry... I don't know how I got here... I just..." Marco said in a confused state.
Kiel stared at him and shook his head. "You little idiot, always playing with magic beyond your understanding."
Marco felt his anger returning and hopped off the table to stare at Kiel. The two sensing that the tension was rising.
"It... It wasn't my fault! If you'd have just helped me, we could solve this issue, but instead, you left me, left your people to die!" Marco shouted eventually, unable to hold in the rage that had built for so long.
Kiel placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Keep that tone with me, and soon you'll find yourself without a tongue! Unlike other places, here, I do not feel the effects of my age!"
Marco couldn't believe this was the "legendary hero," he couldn't believe that he was the one who stopped the witch, and he couldn't believe he was threatening someone trying to save his home.
Kiel kept his eyes glued to him as Marco walked in reverse. "..."
Then, when Marco bumped into the table behind himself, he saw Keil's expression change from anger to worry. With a glance back, Marco saw that it was the altar that housed the feather, and returning his glance back at Kiel, he could see his disgust once again.
Kiel walked to the other side of the table and drew his blade. With a quick swing in front of Marco, a portal tore open, and he pointed the sword at it. "Get out... Never return... I have grown sick of you."
Marco glanced at the portal... From this side, he could see Mewni, only it was covered in the endless forest. It was a horrifying sight to bear witness to, but he knew that he could finally return and help his friends.
Keil shouted at him again. "What are you waiting for?! Go! Go play in your little forest!"
Marco was silent for a moment, and it was at this point he recognized it was hopeless. The only one who could, or at least knew how to defeat the witch, was Kiel.
"Please... Help... I... we need help. I don't understand."
Kiel stepped back and sheathed his blade, after which he spoke in a softer tone. "Nobody can ever understand. Me telling you won't do a thing for you. You need to 'experience' what has happened... Only then can you genuinely grasp why I... I can't help."
Marco became livid. It was excuse after excuse... He wanted to know, he had to know, and he refused to back down without an answer. In his rage, he grabbed hold of the tarnished feather encased in glass and held it up as if he were going to throw it in the fire.
"TELL ME!"
Kiel's expression changed entirely, and he seemed terrified. As soon as he did, he stepped forward, and Marco moved the case closer to the roaring fireplace. "Tell me how to defeat it! I don't care what I have to sacrifice! TELL ME!"
"Please... Lad..." Kiel's voice came out soft and full of agony. The hurt on his face was so apparent that it was tugging at Marco's heart.
"..."
Kiel rested his left hand at his side and looked away, and for a moment, Marco could have sworn he was doing it to hide his tears.
"Lad... I... please don't. I beg of you..." His voice quivered with emotional pain.
Marco looked down, and now he felt like a pile of trash. He didn't even know what it was, and yet, in his desperation, he stooped to threatening him by using it. With a reluctant sigh, Marco moved closer to the table and placed it before the old knight.
"I'm sorry... I... I just want to save my friends more than anything... To the point, I would suffer through anything."
Kiel sat in the chair, and it was almost as if he was in a world of his own. He ran his gloved hand along the glass case and stared at it intensely. Eventually, he began to caress it, in a moment of reminiscing. He then turned his gaze upwards to look at Marco.
"..."
After Kiel had stared enough, he raised himself out of his chair and grabbed the sharp knife lying on the table. At first, Marco was terrified when he approached but then calmed when Kiel stopped just in front of him.
"You would suffer anything for clarity?"
Marco said nothing at first but eventually nodded.
"I can share with you my pain. You will experience it, you will feel it, and you will live it... There is no going back once it's done, and my sins shall forever be yours."
Marco was sweating and now staring at the stump where Kiel's right arm once existed.
"Everything...?" He choked out in a whisper.
Kiel tightened his grip around the knife handle and nodded. "Everything..."
Marco felt immense pressure. It was now apparent there was an unknown and high price to pay for the information he sought. His eyes kept glancing at the portal to Mewni and then moving back to Kiel.
"I... is there even time for that...? Things are dire..."
Kiel looked at the portal himself and then responded. "What you experience will be felt as if it were a long time, but it will be but mere moments in this reality. If you want clarity... I can offer no other way to get it. True understanding comes from experience and sacrifice. The choice is yours."
Marco rubbed his hands on his pants, and after a bit of thinking, he recognized that to defeat a foe, one must understand them. If he had to suffer to gain that knowledge and save Star, Kelly, Tom, and the rest... So be it.
"I'll do whatever it takes, please... Just help us."
Kiel nodded slowly and raised his left hand. When he swung the knife upwards, the portal he'd opened closed. After another moment, he walked over to the place where he kept his potions. He stabbed his knife into the wooden desktop and began mixing various elixirs together.
Marco watched in curious silence until eventually, Kiel walked over with the foaming bowl. Once it was set on the dining table, Kiel retrieved his knife and placed it down roughly in front of Marco.
Marco stared at the sharp hunting blade and then looked at Kiel, who was using his teeth to pull up his tunic sleeve.
"I... what is going on?" Marco asked nervously.
Kiel slammed his hand down on the table with his exposed forearm before Marco. "Cut me."
"I can't do that!" Marco immediately went into protest.
Kiel became angry and yelled at him. "Cut me, you damned idiot!"
Marco grasped the knife and stared at Kiel's pale flesh. He was still unwilling and scared to do as asked, and it only made Kiel harsher.
"Listen, you dirty, dark-skinned bastard! For once in your life, do something other than mess things up!"
Marco felt enraged hearing the words. It was a visceral and disgusting comment, one that made him feel both shame and sickness. He gritted his teeth, remembering how some people look at him on earth, and he found himself unable to not feel resentment.
"How dare you say that!" Marco shouted.
Kiel growled and provoked him further. "I'm disgusted by the sight of you..."
His harsh words were significantly effective against someone of Marco's heritage, and he shouted back, having lost himself to his pain.
"Shut up!!!"
Without care, Kiel raised his hand off the table and slapped Marco clean across the face.
Marco saw red, and he instantly lashed out with the knife in his hand. He brought it forward, and with force, he stabbed Kiel in the arm.
"Ah!" Kiel cried out.
Marco, upon seeing the blood pour from the small stab wound, felt immediate regret.
"I... Kiel... I'm..."
Kiel ignored Marco's whining and held his arm over the bowl, letting the blood leak in. "About time you acted like a man."
There was quiet, and then Kiel reached down to pick up the knife. He wiped the blade clean of his blood and then pointed it towards Marco.
"Your turn."
Marco reluctantly held out his hand and shut his eyes, expecting Kiel to impale his palm or something. At first, he felt a sharp pain as it sliced across his hand, then he felt Kiel move it so that it leaked into the bowl.
When Marco eventually opened his eyes, he saw Kiel wrapping his small cut, then used his teeth to dress his own stab wound.
Kiel dropped the knife on the table and began sifting through the leather-bound book he had with himself at all times.
"What's next?" Marco asked.
Kiel let the book fall to his side once he'd found what he was looking for and began to speak.
"Life is mine, now also yours. Share our souls, forevermore."
With the utterance of the short phrase, magic began emitting from Kiel's hand. The concoction containing their blood and other ingredients began to combine until it was nothing more than a shimmering, purple amalgamation of god knows what.
Once the process seemed complete, Kiel handed Marco the bowl and uttered his final word.
"Drink."
Marco stared at the sparking concoction infused with magic and then sniffed it. It didn't smell unpleasant. However, the fact it contained two people's blood made him queasy.
He looked at Kiel, who merely waited in silence. Eventually, Marco shut his eyes and began to down the liquid as quickly as he could. It tasted bitter and almost wax-like. While not pleasant, it was not as bad as he'd expected.
Once finished. He tried to put the bowl on the table but immediately dropped it to the floor. The world around him started to spin and become disoriented, after which he tried to stand up but stumbled and fell to the floor.
"Oof!" The topple hurt for, but a second, then, the world around him began to melt away. His mind shut down, and he was left in nothing but the deepest of slumbers.
...
Tom ducked behind a stone pillar while the witch hurled a magical shadow spell at him. The second is connected, the stones erupted, and pieces of them began to topple towards him.
"Ah!" Tom yelled and covered his head.
After a moment, he looked out from behind his cover and could not see the witch where she once was. The destruction they had already caused the castle throne room was substantial and giant rocks from the toppled wall lay everywhere.
Tom's demon eyes searched the darkness for the monster, but he couldn't see it.
"Quit hiding! Don't think I don't know what you truly are! Malevolent spirit!"
A second more and Tom noticed the shadows began to creep along the destroyed pillar he was next to. He quickly leaped to the side just in time to avoid the witch revealing herself from within it.
"Geez!"
The witch floated before him after having traveled about the shadows themselves. Its white eyes fixated on his face. "Malevolent spirit? You know nothing of me, demon."
Tom held his hands out, and his fell demonic power began to build up from the ground to the tips of his fingers. "I know enough about you just by looking at you!"
The witch had a strange expression on its face, and it seemed surprised when Tom released an ethereal green attack directly at her.
"What nonsense is this!?" The witch hissed, holding up its appendage to protect itself.
"Shadow Barrier!"
Tom's powerful attack collided with its powerful spell, but the witch let out a cry of pain when the green power impacted it.
"Hahhhh!" It hissed loudly and grabbed hold of its claw with its other one.
Tom breathed in heavily and saw that her appendage had turned a bright green and was shimmering. Every pulse of it caused the creature to cry out in pain.
"You... You FOOL!" It shrieked.
Tom smirked at her and stepped back while it tried to shake off what had been done to it.
"I was right... You are undead, a pathetic, wandering specter. You didn't think I would know how to do harm to the dead...? I am from hell... hello?"
The witch hissed again and angrily swung its uninjured claw towards the ground. "You mock me! Very well, demon... Consider your life to soon be extinguished!"
Tom started to gather energy again so that he could attack the spirit with spectral powers. "Time to end this!"
The witch began to concentrate, and suddenly vines from all directions started to assault Tom. It broke his concentration, and he began floating and avoiding them when they lashed out at him.
"Ah!"
"No!"
"Close!"
Tom felt powerful and confident, but while he dodged the vines, he didn't notice the witch gathering dark energy.
"Shriek in terror know my name, endless horror is the game. From darkest depths, within my soul, let this nightmare take its toll."
Tom turned when he heard the witch chant, but a vine grabbed hold of his arm within seconds.
"Rrr!" He grunted as another grabbed hold of one of his legs.
The witch readied its claw and pointed directly at Tom. "A special hell waits for you..."
Tom struggled against the vines while they sapped his strength rapidly, and he knew now was time to pull the ripcord. He raised his hand, and a portal began to open beneath his feet. With as much effort as he could, he raised the fires of hell from his body, and the vines attached to him were set ablaze.
Now free, he made a dive for the portal, but he was hit by the concentrated dark magic directly in his chest just before reaching it. Within seconds, it began spreading through his entire body. He let out a shriek and immediately halted, trying to get to the portal.
"Ahhh! No... Stop!!" The black magic traveled to his eyes and blinded him.
The world now began to decay for him, and he gasped for precious air. It was like death approached, and he flailed his body to escape it. He could feel the horrible draining of his life energy. Still, He could no longer see the things happening to him physically.
The witch's laughter was muted by panic, even as it echoed through the room. He could feel more strange things grab hold of him, and with a thud, he hit the stone floor. He barely knew in his madness he was now being dragged off to the deepest recesses of nothingness.
As tiredness and despair overtook what little of his mind was left, he felt himself being lulled into sleep. When at last he succumbed to it, he found no comfort from his agony.
Endless horror just had been foretold. Every fear that Tom had ever experienced, he began reliving over and over again. His body being slowly siphoned of its essence, and his mind was forced to live out a cyclical nightmare for what precious time remained.