"THAT CUDDLE WAS MEANT FOR ME!"
Marco jolted awake and sat up in bed, flinging the covers, and Star, off of him. Star used the momentum to spin out of bed, grabbing the wond off the nightstand. She finished the spin on her feet, facing the intruder.
"Wha? Demon! Tom? What ... what are you doing here?"
"Came to invite you and Diaz to hang," Tom replied, grinning.
"You just walked into his room without knocking?"
"He's never had a problem with me sneaking in and watching him sleep before."
"What? First Janna, now you?" Marco yelled, while scratching an itch on his scalp.
"Just kidding," Tom replied. "Kidding about the cuddle too, but seriously though ... I trust the both of you, but why, exactly, were you in bed together?"
"What's the big deal?" Star asked. "We've done it before, like when we shared that small tent before Quest Buy's Squire Blowout."
Tom scowled; he had not been told about that.
"Don't give me that look, Thomas Draconius Lucitor," Star scolded. "Teens and sleepovers are normal, so what's weird about it? Two teenagers sharing a bed, one boy, one girl ... oh. Oh, no!"
"It's not like that," Marco quickly said.
"Then what's it like?" Tom asked.
Star and Marco looked at each other. Just the night before they had promised they would not tell Tom about their bad trip. They routinely kept secrets from Tom, suggesting that Tom's trust was misplaced, but he had caught them in the act of doing something they would have kept from him. They knew they had no choice but to 'fess up.
Marco got up out of bed then stood beside Star. In perfect unison, with gestures in perfect sync, they said, "We visited an alternate universe where we accidently blew up its Star and Marco. We healed them, but we had to take their place in an exhibition game. Things got out of hand, and we kind of freaked out. Neither one of us wanted to be alone, and since we figured the freak-out was caused by the same things causing our nightmares, we thought being together would help."
Tom was silent, looking back and forth between them, making them feel uncomfortable. Finally, he asked, "How long have you two been doing that?"
"Doing what?" Star and Marco answered simultaneously.
"That. Matching each other exactly when you move and talk."
"Erm, often enough that we don't really notice it any longer," Star answered. "Let me think for a sec ... I'd say now and then after the Blood Moon Ball, then bunches of times after the photo booth at the wed..." Star squeaked and covered her mouth.
"Photo booth? At the wedding? What happened in the photo booth?"
Star sighed. "I'm sorry, Tom." Star used the wond to summon a photo strip, which she handed to Tom.
Realization dawned on Marco. "You ... kept the photos?" Marco asked in shock.
Tom looked at the photo strip, ending in the kiss between the two. Tom looked at Marco, and with face and tone neutral, asked, "So?"
Marco rubbed his arm. "We were trapped by an evil little Hirsch Goblin that told us the booth was magic and would release us only when we took the photo it was 'waiting for.' I thought that meant that because it knew I had ... have ... feelings for Star, that a kiss was the only way out."
Tom continued to look at Marco impassively, making Marco even more uncomfortable. After a long few moments, Tom looked at Star, and said, "So, let's see: you didn't tell me about the kiss, your adventures to alternate universes, your nightmares, and you sleeping with Diaz. Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
"Welllll," Star began. Marco poked her without Tom seeing. "No, I think that's everything."
Stashing the photo strip in a pocket, Tom turned his attention back to Marco. Tom began to walk toward him.
"Tom! Tom!" Marco said, panic in his voice. "I'm sorry dude, I was only trying to get us out of there ... but," Marco blushed, "I do still have feelings for Star. I like ... every ... single ... thing ... about her. It's unnatural ... it's supernatural."
Tom laid a hand on Marco's shoulder. "No, it's supernatural."
"I just said that."
"You did? Way to stomp on my moment, bro. Anyway, I'm the one who's sorry, it's all my fault. You both ... are cursed."
"What?" Star asked.
"Well, do you remember the Blood Moon Ball?"
"Yes, I mentioned it just a minute ago."
"Right. Its actual name is the Blood Moon Curse. The Curse chooses two souls to be eternally bound under the light of the Blood Moon. I took you in hope that it would choose us, but it didn't. It chose you and Marco instead."
Angrily, Star said, "So we're cursed, and you knew about it?"
"Yeah ... but I kinda thought you knew about it too?"
"No, I didn't know. How would I have known my soul had been bonded to Marco's?"
"Actually, it's 'bound.' The difference is ..." Tom stopped, noticing Star's furrowed brow, eyes squinting in fury, and the small trickle of blood rolling down her chin from where she had bitten her lip.
"Never mind," Tom mumbled. "Anyway, I thought it was pretty clear. I mean, there was that guy ... who explained everything. Didn't you listen?"
"Tom," Star replied, "sometimes it's like you don't know me at all."
"There was also that light. Remember that? It chose the two of you."
"I thought that was a fun party light. I didn't know it was cursed!"
"But ... you know you have feelings for Marco. I know you have feelings for Marco. I mean, where did you think those came from?"
Marco, who had been silently listening to the exchange, thought, Did he just insult me? Then realization kicked in yet again. "Wait," he said, "you have feelings for me?"
Star blushed and stammered, "Hup bup because of the Curse!"
"I'm sorry you guys," Tom continued. "I was an idiot back then. What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Oh, I don't know, how about ... get rid of this curse!"
"Okay, well, my great-grandpa Relicor was the one who told me about the Blood Moon."
Star grabbed Tom's arm. "Well then, let's go talk to him."
"Wait. I don't think he'll talk to us about it. But there's a book of curses in his library. I read only the part about how a couple is cursed by the Blood Moon; maybe the book also says how to break it."
"Fine, let's hurry up and break this thing. Right, Marco?"
Marco stood, looking at Star in confusion.
"Marco," Star asked, "what's wrong?"
"I can't believe that all of this ... drama ... has been because of some dumb curse," Marco answered. "It's all just ... confusing."
Star walked over to Marco, placing her arm around his shoulders. "Hey," she said, "you're my best friend, and no curse is ever going to change that. But if this thing is messing with us, let's smash it to a billion pieces!"
Marco moved out from under Star's arm, deciding after few seconds that Star was right. "Okay ... let's go destroy our feelings!" They high-fived.
"Maybe you two should change out of your night clothes first..."
— OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO —
Star, Marco, and Tom stepped out of a dimensional portal into a huge library reading room.
"Whoa," Marco said in awe.
"Yup," Tom said, "it's his little man cave."
"Little?" Star exclaimed, "He has, like, a billion books in here!"
"Nice and creepy, though," mused Marco, as he looked around the room. "Especially that." Marco indicated a portrait of Tom's great-grandpa Relicor, standing next to what he presumed was Tom's great-grandma, but he couldn't be certain ... the portrait was clawed to pieces over her face.
Marco spied a computer terminal in the middle of the room. "Good thing he has a computer to search it all with," Marco said. "I love it when the elderly embrace technology."
The computer screen indicated the terminal was for the "Lucitor Archives." In the search box Marco typed "how to break the blood moon curse."
The computer quickly found the relevant file and displayed it on the screen. "It says here that moon curses are easily broken. 'The accursed simply need to stand in the exact spot where the curse was placed at the exact same cycle in the lunar calendar, and when the moon hits its apex the curse shall be removed.'"
Star excitedly said, "Easy peasy. We can totally do that." She turned to Tom. "When's the next Blood Moon?"
"Not long, just 665 years from now."
Star's and Marco's faces fell. "What?" Tom asked. "Oh, right, you don't live that long."
Despair in his voice, Marco walked across the room. "I wanted to start a family. Fall in love." He stole a glance at Star. "What's the point if this curse is making all the decisions?"
Marco walked over to a small chair that looked disturbingly like Relicor and sat. The chair immediately shrieked, jumping onto Marco's head. Marco screamed and began running around the room, "Get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!"
Star raised her wond. "Rainbow Fist Grab!" A rainbow-colored fist leapt out and pinned Marco and Relicor in place.
Tom ran over to them. "Grandpa, please calm down!" Tom pleaded, as Relicor shrieked at him. "I know I'm not supposed to be in here, but I used the Blood Moon Curse."
Relicor immediately stopped shrieking, then grunted a question to Tom. "I used it, but it chose my friends instead. I really messed up their lives, and we can't find a way to break the Curse."
Relicor formed his left thumb and index finger into a circle, slowly inserting his right index finger, while shrieking another question at Tom.
"No, not yet."
"Tom!" Star complained. Tom gave her a confused look.
Relicor watched this exchange, then shrugged. Still on Marco's head, Relicor sniffed him. Relicor spread his wings, then flapped over to Star, sniffing her. Relicor shrieked to Tom.
"Oh. Grandpa says I've doomed you both. You guys aren't mad at me, are you?"
Before either Star or Marco could voice the obscenities that immediately sprang to mind, Relicor shrieked, then flew over to a bookcase. He pulled out a book, then flew back to Marco, alighting on his head.
Shrieking, Relicor handed Tom the book, the Demon's Guide to Enchanted Rocks. "He says the Severing Stone might be able to help us." Tom flipped through the book until he found the correct page. Reading from the book, he said, "The Severing Stone. This enchanted rock possesses an edge so sharp that it can sever anything, be it physical, emotional, or even magical. The Stone can be found at the deepest depths of the Underworld."
Star rolled her eyes. "This day just gets better and better," she said sarcastically.
"Grandpa says he'll guide us to the Severing Stone."
Star dissolved the Rainbow Fist. Grasping tightly to Marco's head, Relicor flew them both over to another bookcase. Pulling out a book, he shrieked at Marco.
"Uh, Marco, he's saying to back up."
The bookcase burst into flames. After it burned out, a magical elevator rose from the ashes. Marco shook his head and said, "You know, this elevator might not be worth burning a case of books every time you want to use it." Relicor shrieked angrily. "Just sayin'."
The four of them entered the elevator. Tom pushed the button for the bottom level.
As the elevator descended, Marco whispered to Star, who giggled. She then whispered to Marco, who stifled a laugh. Tom started to whistle while doing stretching exercises.
"Tom!" Star and Marco said in unison.
"What?" Tom asked in surprise.
"You're an elevator whistler," Marco said accusingly. "That's a capital offense on Earth."
Star added, "And you were doing that little thing we talked about. That little stretchy, yoga, thing. In public. That I hate."
"So ... what? Is it 'Dump on Tom Day' or something?"
"YES!" Star and Marco replied, again in unison.
The elevator reached the bottom level. They all exited the elevator into a large cavern. Across a rickety old rope bridge was a platform with a pedestal in the middle. Floating above the pedestal was a large crystal.
The group began crossing the bridge, with Marco mumbling about a "wooden death trap." Star giggled, but Tom looked back in annoyance and said, "Man up, Diaz."
Star responded angrily, "Tom! Shush!" Tom scowled, but nonetheless shushed.
The group made it across the bridge, walking up to the platform. Relicor flew a few feet ahead to the foot of the platform, then shrieked at the Severing Stone. The Stone responded with colorful light flashes and musical tones.
Marco thought, Are we here to sever our souls or play that old video game, Loom?
Relicor and the Stone carried on a conversation for a few seconds, then Relicor turned to Tom, shrieking. Tom translated. "He says the Stone is asking why we're here."
Star stepped forward. With a flourish, she said, "Oh, Severing Stone, we wish to sever our souls, which were bonded in the light of the Blood Moon."
The Stone responded with tones and flashes, which Relicor translated for Tom, who translated for Star and Marco. "He says that will be easy. Just hop up on the platform. Oh, and the Stone said the correct word is 'bound.'"
Before Star could retort, Relicor ran onto the platform and up to the pedestal. He shrieked angrily at the Stone, shaking his fist. The Stone responded, then Relicor burst into tears. He flew back to Tom.
Sobbing, Relicor shrieked to Tom, who said, "Grandpa says he came to the Severing Stone once before, hundreds of years ago. He wanted to sever his soul from my great-grandma, but to do so, he had to sacrifice the memory of the moment they first fell in love. Now, he can never have that memory back. And he says he's regretted it ever since." Relicor gave one more shriek, then sat quietly except for a few sniffles.
Tom said, "The Stone also told him the severing is permanent. But that's cool, because that's what we all want, right?"
After an almost imperceptible pause, Star and Marco nodded their heads. They walked up onto the platform and up to the pedestal and Stone.
"So," Star said, "we have to sacrifice the memory of the moment our souls were bonded ... bound."
"When we danced," Marco said. The two took each other's hands and turned as if dancing.
Tom yelled, "THAT DANCE WAS MEANT FOR ME!" He laughed. "Just kidding."
"Are we sure this is what we're ..." Star began, when suddenly she and Marco found themselves at the Blood Moon Ball. They looked up and saw the red crescent-moon Blood Moon crystal in the ceiling. When they looked back down, they were in the clothes they wore at the Ball, complete with Marco's Día de los Muertos mask. "Wow, outfits and everything. Marco, I think we're in our memories."
As the pair was bathed in a red spotlight from the crystal, the Blood Moon Waltz began to play. Marco said, "I guess we gotta go for it," taking Star's hand while pulling her close to dance.
They began dancing to the Waltz. "Aww, you look cute in your mask."
"Nawwwww," Marco replied, blushing under his mask.
"Oh, I never told you that you had corn chip crumbs on your tie."
"Geeze, that's embarrassing," Marco whined.
They continued the dance, enjoying themselves reliving the memory. Finally, Marco said, "This would be the point where Tom shoved me halfway across the ballroom."
But their waltz was not interrupted; there was no Tom and no shove. Star looked around in wonder. "This feels ... new," she said.
As the dance lengthened, they became more enraptured with each other with every step and twirl.
"Where have you been hiding these dance moves, Diaz?"
"Nowhere. I mean, I just keep on dancin', you know? That's what grandma said. 'Just keep dancing, even if you look silly.'"
Star felt her heart begin to flutter. She felt an emotion she had never felt before; it was like happiness and longing at the same time. When they began to slow-dance, the look of joy on Star's face began to fade. As the light of the Blood Moon waned, she said, "Marco, I'm really scared."
"Don't worry, it's going to work."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Star looked up at the crystal. "I don't want my destiny determined by some creepy curse, but ..." Star brought her gaze down to Marco's eyes and closed her hand around his, "I like this."
Marco started stroking the back of Star's hand with his thumb, then lifted his mask with the other. "Yeah, so do I."
A tear rolled down Star's left cheek. "What if it was never the Blood Moon?"
As Marco considered that, he felt his heart begin to flutter. He felt an emotion he had never felt before; it was like happiness and longing at the same time.
In that moment, the Blood Moon crystal shattered.
Beside the pedestal, Star and Marco slowly became coherent, as if coming out of a trance. The Severing Stone toned and flashed. Relicor translated for Tom, who said, "It is done. So ... what happened? You guys turned around just once, and that was it."
"I don't know," Star answered. "I feel like I just woke up from a weird nap."
Marco said, "Let's see ... we were dancing at the Blood Moon Ball, I lifted my mask to tell you who I was, then Tom knocked me halfway across the room. Then we went home, where you went all," Marco continued in a mocking tone, "'I need a friend, not a hero,' on me."
Star giggled and punched Marco on his arm. "So, how do we know if it worked?"
Tom responded, "Well, how do you feel? When you look at each other, what do you see?"
Star and Marco looked at each other. "I see ... my best friend," they said in unison. "Okay, stop that," they said together, laughing.
Tom sighed. "Well, now things are only a little awkward!" he said. "Instead of very awkward, which it was for, like, a year. I felt so much guilt every single day."
"You should have, Tom," Star responded. "But it's okay."
Tom smiled broadly at her forgiveness.
"Let's get out of here," Star said.
"Let's," Marco agreed. He offered Star his arm, which she took. Relicor flew up and alighted in-between them on their shoulders. Arm in arm, they stepped off the platform and toward the bridge. "I wonder which moment of the dance we lost?" Marco mused.
As soon as their backs were turned, Tom's smile dropped. "Best friend" was not mutually exclusive of "girlfriend" or "boyfriend." What concerned him more was that they still remembered the Blood Moon Ball exactly as he remembered it. Star, Marco and Tom all assumed that the moment Star and Marco first fell in love was when their souls were cleaved during the dance. That the Severing Stone was able to break the Curse meant they did fall in love at some point. But still remembering everything that happened at the Ball meant they did not fall in love during their dance. The only way anybody would know when it happened would be if someone mentioned an event both Star and Marco could not remember.
Was it before the Ball, Tom thought, or after the Ball caused by the Blood Moon? Would binding their souls together necessarily cause them to fall in love anyway? If it wasn't the Blood Moon, couldn't they just fall in love again?
On top of all that, Star and Marco were so in tune with each other that they were still speaking in unison, even without the Curse.
"Hey, Tom!" Star yelled from in front of the bridge. "You coming, or what?"
"Just a sec, boo," Tom called back.
Star and Marco began crossing the bridge single file, with Relicor riding on Marco's shoulders.
Tom pulled the booth photo strip from his pocket, looking at the photo of the kiss. If there was nothing to it, he thought, why didn't Star mention it? Why didn't Marco? Were they telling the truth when they said they're not keeping anything else from me?
Then something Tom had missed earlier caught his eyes. Looking closely at the kiss, he realized Star's visible Magic-Pip was glowing. He shifted the strip to his other hand, trying for better lighting, but the pip disappeared. What the corn? he thought. He returned the strip back to its original hand, but the pip did not reappear. Frowning in thought, he moved his hand to its original position on the strip, touching the kiss photo. The pip reappeared.
Such a thing was uncommon, but not unusual, on Mewni. Tapestries were the usual bearers of such magic, but Tom could not think of any reason why photos, in a magical dimension, could not also be infused with that magic.
With a start, Tom realized that Marco had a glowing Magic-Pip as well. Even though Marco's was in the shape of a crescent moon, Tom knew that exposure to magic, not any curse, caused Magic-Pips. Worse, when they glowed like that, the person was experiencing strong emotions ... and Star's was glowing as well. Did Star never hold the strip this way so never saw their Cheek-Thingies? Or is this yet another thing that Star was hiding from me? Damn...
Small slivers of doubt and worry crept into Tom'sheart.