star
Mom gasps as she stares at my wings, shocked. Dad drops the Mewnian invisible goat steak he was eating.
A long silence passes by and Dad finally clears his throat.
"Star, we're so glad you're awake. We were worried," he says, frowning.
"Yeah, I was knocked out for a little while. Look at my wings!"
I turn around and leap up, in an attempt to fly. I can't control my wings, not even a bit. Then I land face first on the ground.
I hear three gasps at once and Marco quickly grabs my hands to pull me up.
"What? Mom, they don't work!"
"Oh, sure, always ask Mommy for help while Daddy just watches everything silently."
He then walks out of the frame, mumbling something under his breath.
Marco and I raise eyebrows at each other. "Dad!"
"Dad," I hear, in a sing-song voice. He was mimicking me.
I roll my eyes, exasperated.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Don't mind him Star, he's just going through a phase. He said it was 'unfair' that us females get to have wings while all the males can do is 'trudge around.'"
"Anyway, Star, how are your wings? Are they uncomfortable? Do they still hurt? What do you feel when you try to fly?"
I open my eyes wide, trying to take in all of her questions at once.
"They feel funny, yes, no, and nothing at all."
Mom sighs and looks at the floor. She looks so troubled.
"Star... There's something I need to tell you."
I raise my brows at her.
"Huh?"
"... You know that day you got evaluated?"
I nod.
"Well... Baby told me that you have a power greater than I did, when I was your age."
I blush. "What? So, I'm like, stronger, and more advanced, because, because I dipped down earlier than you did? Pffft."
"Yes Star, but the point is - "
"You hear that, Marco Diaz? I'm more skilled."
"Star, yes, however - "
"I mean, I knew that. From the start. I felt like I - "
"STAR BUTTERFLY! BABY TOLD ME SHE HASN'T SEEN THIS LEVEL OF MAGIC SINCE QUEEN ECLIPSA!"
What?
I open my mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. Did I just hear 'Queen Eclipsa'?
The room instantly swirls around my head, in circles.
I shuffle back, trying to balance my weight.
"...Star?"
"Yes, Marco, I'm okay." I wasn't gonna pass out again.
He steadies me and keeps me still.
"Mom... is that... is that true?"
She tries to look unconcerned about it, but her heavy frown gives it away.
"Star, it doesn't matter, actually. There isn't a chance you'd become like Queen Eclipsa. At all."
I know she's reassuring herself more than she's doing so to me.
"... You're right. I'm different, I'm Star Butterfly, I won't turn dark now. My magic's perfectly fine, haha! See?"
I point my wand at the mirror to show my mom that I'm fine, but it suddenly vibrates before a huge, green ray shoots out of it, shattering the mirror into a million pieces.
"STAR - ?" I hear my mom shout before the call ends, while the broken glass scatters all across my room.
"STAR!" Marco jumps and pushes me to the side.
My vision is blurred by a white light. What just happened?
We fall a split second after, and I open my eyes. Marco has his eyes shut tight, and he holds me close, shielding me.
"... Marco? You alive?"
He opens one eye before letting out a relieved sigh.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he says, getting up to his feet and helping me in turn.
"Are you, Star? You don't look so good."
"I'm fine," I lie, frowning.
I look around. The whole room is covered in glass, and my wand lies abandoned on the floor, in front of where my mirror used to be.
"Star?"
"Huh? Did you call me?"
"Yeah, you were lost in thought. Anyway, did... you? Do that? Or..."
"Marco, I would never shoot at my mirror," I say, walking over to my wand, avoiding all the glass, and l
pick it up.
"That glass is made of Mewnian crystalite, Marco. It would never have broken if I shot with the spells I usually cast."
I look down at my wand.
"But my wand just shot out randomly, and... Well? It's gone. The mirror. That was definitely not my magic."
I must have been wearing a troubled look, because Marco asked, "Star, are you alright?"
"Like I said before, I'm okay."
Marco gives me a skeptical look and sighs, eyes closed.
"Marco, I'm alright. It's fine."
"Star. I know that face. That isn't the only thing bugging you. What else is there? What's wrong?"
That's when I blew up.
"WHAT'S WRONG? MARCO, CAN'T YOU SEE? EVERYTHING'S WRONG!"
"I'VE LOST GLOSSARYCK, THE SPELL BOOK, I'VE BROKEN MY MIRROR, I'VE BROKEN MY WAND! AND NOW IT'S SHOOTING GREEN SPELLS AND MAKING A MESS!"
"TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, I LOST YOU AT THE SEANCE!"
"DON'T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS I DON'T NEED TO HEAR, MARCO! THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS!"
"EVERYTHING. IS. WRONG!"
I gasp, out of breath.
Tears flood out of my cheeks.
Why me?
Why couldn't I have just been born as a normal girl living on Earth?
I sob and fall to my knees, covering my face with both hands.
The impact my knees have on the ground is heavy, and the glass shards from the explosion earlier pierce and jab through my skin.
I know I'm bleeding, and in pain, but the numbness comes from inside.
I hate this all. I hate it.
I hate it so much.
marco
I stand there in silence while Star just crys in front of me.
I feel like an idiot.
Why aren't I helping her? Cheering her up?
But...
Why can't I move?
I heard each and every word she said.
To make things worse, I've lost you.
I definitely heard that.
Lost me? To what? To who?
To Jackie? Star's my best friend, and Star knows that.
She's not the type to get sad about being replaced, especially since I'd never abandon our friendship for me and Jackie.
But then again, she's going through a lot.
I kneel down and crouch before her, not knowing what to do.
She's never blown up at me like this before.
All I can think of doing is placing my hand on her shoulder.
She sobs uncontrollably, like she's been holding it in all this while.
I don't like seeing her in pain. Crying, either.
She's going through so much hardship at once.
I can't believe she's bottled it up all this while.
I pull her closer with both arms this time, as a single tear runs down my face.
This isn't the Star I know.
I close my eyes and run my hand through her hair, with the other hand squeezing her waist tight.
"Star, you'll get through this. We'll get through this."
Normally I'd have gotten a hug back, but she just keeps crying with her hands glued to her face.
And I cry with her.