Loveberry

"I knew it! I knew it all 'long!" A woman in muddy, torn armor clucked as she peered through the telescope lens. The sun had bleached her purple hair a lighter hue and dried her body into a thin husk, but she refused to leave her perch on the roof of her shack until she had proof of rebellion. The one she could taste in the air like water vapor before a rainstorm. Now, she had it, and victory spread a smile across her dirt-crusted face, tearing the dried skin at the corners until it bled slightly. A smile well-worth the pain.

At her call, a little man in faded royal knickers shot out of the hut below her. The plume on his hat caught against the doorframe, and he looked on sadly. "Come on, Manfred, make haste!" The warrior ordered. "Got no time to waste 'round!"

Manfred scurried to her side and looked into the telescope. "There at three o'clock!" She pointed. "Can't miss 'em."

"Oh yes, Mina," he nodded. "I see."

"You darn tootin' ya do. Ol' Seth of Septarsis has stuck out his ugly nose."

She had a feeling that potbellied fool would come slinking back like a starved mutt. Change always seemed to bring out dirty laundry like that. Ever since the Cleave, Mina could sense his filth coming. The centuries since his last disappearance had been long and quiet, but she was not deceived into thinking that the nemesis had died. Septarians did not let age claim them; only the sword of a Solarian warrior could bring them down. They knew nothing but violence and bloodshed as enemies to civilization and progress. Just thinking about that lily-livered lizard boy slinking in the shadows made Mina's blood boil hot under her skin.

Hundreds of years ago, Queen Solaria—praised be her name!—chose the warrior to be her first creation. In her divine image, she fashioned Mina into a super soldier destined to keep Mewni safe from evil monsters. Even now, her oath to the Solaria—praised be her name!—was still to be fulfilled. As the last of the stalwart breed, the warrior refused to fail this time. I will get my vengeance, she vowed. She would prove herself worthy by restoring the rightful order to Earth-ni and vanquishing the monsters once and for all!

"What should we do, dearest?" Manfred quivered and clutched her biceps. "I'm too delicate to go to war." She smirked at her partner. This was what she liked her about her new boo; his weakness fueled her like logs in a fire.

"There, there, Manny-honey," she patted his hand. "I won't let the lizard boy hurt ya or any Mewman." She grimaced imagining Seth's gator jaws salivating at the idea of conquest. Knowing him, the Septarian could have an evil monster army battle-ready in mere months—if even. Monsters loved the charisma and ruthlessness of Seth's race and flocked to him. They would make him their general and ally him with Eclipsa the Monster Lover. How repulsive, she gagged. "Now that we've seen that sack of manure, it's time to enact phase two! Quick, to the shrine, and bring an offering!"

Manfred hurried to the makeshift Solaria—praised be her name!—shrine build down a small gravel path from the hut. In a stone grotto, an image of the Monster Carver Queen glared upon her humble servant. Only took me a few weeks to carve Her likeness with a lowly spoon, Mina admired her handiwork. She worked the days straight through, not even pausing to eat or use the bathroom, but her Queen deserved only the utmost devotion. Though her hands bled and her fingertips were worn down, Mina continued to completion. After a moment of reverence, the warrior lit a candle at the foot of the statue and meditated. When Manfred showed up, bringing a pig-goat, he tied it to a stake and did the same.

"It is time," Mina spat into the earth and mixed in a drop of her blood to make a paste to smear on her cheeks. She did the same to Manfred, who accepted the mixture with such gladness, he wept. "O Queen Solaria—your name is great forever and a thousand years after—we praise you for giving us a positive sign of the evil in this world!" Mina chanted a prayer, lifting up her lean arms. "Please, O Queen of divine perfection, give us a sign that it is time to act on your behalf and liberate Earth-ni from the monsters!"

For a long time, nothing happened, but Mina still kept her hands raised in hopeful adoration. Although her shoulders burned after a half-hour like a fire, she kept them aloft. Solaria—praised be her name!—required only the greatest sacrifice. Suddenly, an acorn fell from a squirrel's mouth in a tree, hitting Mina on the head. She bit her lip as the pain nearly jolted her hands down. "Look!" Manfred's eyes grew large. "It's a sign, dearest! A sign!"

The acorn was perfectly cleaved in half, so completely that it was hard to imagine it being whole. "You're a genius, Manny-poo!" Mina kissed him and cradled the broken shell in her hands. "We must undo what's been done! We must separate the monsters from the Mewmans and annihilate them!"

"Operation: Divide and Conquer!" Manfred cheered.

"Why does that name seem so familiar...?" she scratched her chin. "Nevermind! The pig-goat, Manfred!"

He fetched the hapless animal, leading it to Mina, who brandished her knife. "O, great battle lords!" She prayed, lifting the blade. "Please protect me and Manfred, loyal servants of Queen Solaria—praised be her name!—and carry our foes into the depths of the inferno where they will live in the ruins of our victory forever. Lead us to the battle and let us bathe in the spilt blood of our enemies!"

She plunged the blade into the animal, quickly dispatching it, and smeared the offering on the statue's heart, cheekmarks, and feet. A grin lit Mina's face, and she pressed her bloodied hands against her cheeks to leave a mark. "Come, Manfred," she rose to her feet. "We must go into town and spread the good word to the Mewmans. War is coming!"

"What about the humans, my gracious leader?"

"Hmm..." Mina tapped her blood-soaked chin in consideration.

The new inhabitants of Earth-ni were a weak bunch with no known powers or special skills. They were meek sacks of flesh who feared everything like precious little suckling lambs. But that was their greatest asset too. Mina could easily mold their underdeveloped minds into the perfect foot soldiers to be flung at the monsters. Yes, the army needed fodder to sacrifice in the place of the noble Mewmans. "We shall recruit them too. Bring my sleigh!"

Warnicorns were hard to come by in these woods, so Mina had four normal-sized skunks that she attached to a discarded recliner with sled dog harnesses. She took in a lungful of their stench, smelling victory and the acrid smell like burning tires. "Garbage, Trash, Rubbage, and Cisco," she called their names as she mounted the seat. "Carry Mama and Papa to victory!"

The animals screeched and lurched forward in their traces and pulled the recliner out of the mountains. It took a few hours to descend into the town, but Mina used the time to ready her tinfoil hats and prepare her speech. In the downtown, humans were on their mandated lunch breaks and a few Mewmans trickled in to grab a bite to eat or shop. Perfecto, Mina brought the bullhorn to her face, "Attention citizens of Earth-ni! You are in mortal danger! The dreaded Seth of Septarsis is back, and he's gonna end the world! He's gonna enslave your children and kidnap your wives!"

Around her, the Mewmans cowered in fear and flocked to her smelly carriage, eager to join the fight. Meanwhile, the humans scoffed, rolling their eyes and closing their noses at the stench. "Go home, crazy lady!" One of them yelled. "You're scaring the customers."

Simpleminded fools! She snarled inwardly, before saying, "You won't have any customers if Seth eats them! And I'm no ordinary crazy lady. The name's Mina Loveberry, and I'm the servant of the glorious Queen Solaria—praised be her name! Mark my words, puny human, the end of your world is nigh. Don't come cryin' to me when your wife is snatched!"

"I don't have a wife...I still live with my mom..." the storekeeper started to sob.

Turning to the Mewmans huddled around her throne, Mina raised a fist, "Come with me, my brother and sisters. Today starts a new fellowship to make Earth-ni great again!"

"Earth-ni just happened!" The humans balked. Whatever, Mina rolled her eyes and led her recruits into the mountains.

There, Mina performed a great sacrifice and anointed all of her new troops in fresh blood. "Rise," she commanded them. "Rise, O disciples of Solaria—praised be her name!"

They stood up and answered, "May her name be praised forever!"

Mina spread her arms over them, "Welcome to the first day of a new era." Thunderous applause shook the hollow, and their glorious leader smiled with glee. The new monster wars were coming at last!

~•~

"Alright," Mina held a dummy in the face of a Mewman, "What do you do if a monster comes to your house?"

The woman gripped her dagger in her dominant hand and lashed out with a mighty slash. Mina ducked when the tip popped the dummy's head clean off, depositing the sack on the ground. "I did it, lord Mina! I killed the monster eating my crops."

"Excellent," she patted her soldier on the head. "You'll be an excellent Solarian warrior in no time, Marianne."

"Thanks, lord Mina," Marianne clapped her hands together. She turned and bragged to her neighbor, "Did you see that? Mina might choose me to be the first warrior just like Queen Solaria—praised be her name!—chose her."

"In your dreams, Marianne," the Mewman rolled his eyes.

Mina hung back and watched her minions sharpen their skills against dummies made of cloth, sand, and wood. That's right my pretties, she smirked. Grow strong for mama! A week had passed since her first recruitment campaign, and her budding forces were already five thousand strong with more and more joining each day. Manfred said they should have no issue reaching fifty thousand by the end of this month. Training bouts were held in shifts as the alpine forests could only hold so many Mewmans at once, plus many of them were busy helping Moon rebuild Butterfly castle, which Mina fully supported. The ancient fortress used to be the home of the gracious Solaria—praised be her name!—and was far more suitable than the crummy Monster Temple.

The warrior reclined on her plastic folding chair and commanded Manfred to feed her grapes while the exercises carried on. She chewed the little round fruit thoroughly, then sipped her soda. "This is the life, Manny-poo," she relaxed. "Building a better future. It's just like havin' a family."

"Yes it is, dearest," he replied on cue. I trained him well, she smiled to herself. It had been a long few months, but the former servant proved to be a loyal lackey. She meant it in an endearing way. Her Manny-poo took the sting out of her fall from grace. Queen Solaria—praised be her name!—allowed the millhorse in the Realm of Magic. It had been shocking, but Mina knew she had a chance to get right with her holy Queen. One day, Solaria—praised be her name!—would look down from wherever her soul rested upon a world ruled by Queen Moon and policed by Mina, Manfred, and their offspring. That's what I need, a lightbulb went off in her head. They needed to get busy.

She batted her eyes at her man, "Oh, Manny-poo...I think it's time we think about the future..."

"How so, dearest?"

"Y'know, we need heirs," she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Give me heirs, Manfred."

His pupils dilated and a nervous bead of sweat rolled down his face, "Oh...are you sure?" Fear rolled of him, creating a pleasing aroma for Mina's nose. She loved to taste fear on her pray; it quickened her old loins.

"Lord Mina," a Mewman bowed. "Sir Merrick wants to speak with you." Mina narrowed her eyes at the interruption but set Manfred down. When his feet hit the floor, he scuttled away to hide in the hut. I'll have to keep him on a leash next time, she made a note to put him through another round of obedience training later.

"Very well," she nodded to her servant. "Bring him here."

The Maizleys were a family Mina quite liked for their blind loyalty. They were the first members of Queen Moon's Mewman yurt community, and the first to sign on to the original Solarian Warrior project, which went well until puny Star Butterfly meddled with her hatred of magic. How could Mud Sister thwart natural progress to help the filthy monsters escape extermination? Mina blamed her slack views on her frolicking with the Earth boy, Marco. Humans were only a little bit above the depravity of monsters, but Mina could not decide if she actually liked them either. Should she kill them too to make more room for Mewmans?

The question was shoved aside when Merrick approached her lofty plastic throne on top of her hut. He saluted, "Hail the Mewman race and praise Queen Solaria—her name be praised!"

"Her name be praised forever!" Mina stood. "State your business, precious warrior."

Merrick nodded, "My wife and I have a proposition for you, O lord. I think we should bring in the humans. We saw them use...strange magic."

Maybe Mina was wrong about the weak sacks of flesh. Intrigue sat her back in her seat, so she could listen adequately. "Go on," she urged.

"You see," he continued. "My wife and I saw the power of the humans. We were walking home on down a dangerous street, and we saw a human kill another with magic. One of them had this tree branch...but it wasn't a normal branch. Maybe it was a wand—I don't know. They held it to their face, and thunder shook the air. Before we knew it, the other human lay bleeding on the ground. A few other Mewmans saw it too, and we started to call them 'Thunder-Wands.'"

The warrior blinked in shock. So magic wasn't dead. Truthfully, she struggled with how to make her new Solarian warriors super powerful without Solaria's—praised be her name!—magic. While swords, daggers, and bows were effective, Mina wanted to be super-effective, leaving not a single monster alive. Now, this human magic sounded interesting. Mina must find a way to get a hand on it in order to ensure victory and restore her rightful place at Solaria's—praised be her name!—side.

"Sir Merrick, what do ya think will get the humans hip-hoppin' to our side?" She wondered.

"They appear to be concerned with the same things we Mewmans are: safety, kids, stuff like that."

Hmm, Mina scratched her chin as the cogs in her super intelligent, analytical mind spun. Suddenly, she just knew a plan perfect enough to show the evilness of the monster, thus getting the "strange" magic in her hands.

~•~

The next day, reporters surrounded a demolished school where an evil hungry monster had tried to eat the precious children inside. While the humans wept and cowered, Mina laughed her butt off and took another bite out of a donut in anticipation. Who knew monsters were stupid enough to blindly follow an ad for "All-You-Can-Eat shrimp?" Of course, Mina knew, and now, she had a group of humans approaching with a case of the "magic." Such easy prey. A smile twitched on her ancient face when her new pets placed the crate below her throne.

"My lord," one of them bowed. "All hail Queen Solaria—praised be her name!"

"Praised be her name!" Mina replied. "Did ya bring the goods?"

"Robbed the best stores around," the human had his henchmen open the case, revealing one of the Thunder-Wands. It was a heavy, odd-shaped thing fashioned out of black metal and wood. It clicked when the human fastened what looked like a wand charger at the bottom. Eager to try the wand, Mina leapt off her perch and grabbed the object. She liked the heft behind it. Heavy weapons did heavy damage. When she tried to look down the hole in the front, the human slapped his hand on hers.

"Careful with that," he warned. "That's the business end. Point it only at what you want dead."

Normally touching Mina was prohibited, but she forgave his trespass. He walked her through how to shoulder the Thunder-Wand, and how to look through the sight on top. "When you're ready," he said. "Pull the trigger."

The Thunder-Wand jolted in her hands, nearly knowing Mina backward as it produced a loud bang! The other trainees scattered at the noise but stared in awe at the aftermath the magic produced. A small stone hurled at a sand dummy, punching a hole clean through the other side. No sword or arrow could do as much damage as human magic. Mina lowered the wand and went to survey the damage herself. This is perfect! She fired again and again, bouncing the metallic stones on the damp earth. Her warriors cheered as the dummy became riddled with lethal holes. Once the magic was empty, Mina held the wonder-working wand into the air, "With this magic, we shall conquer!"

"Praise be lord Mina and her Thunder-Wand!" The Mewmans cried.

"Excuse me, Mina, may I ask what's going on?"

She turned to see Moon leaning against a tree, prompting the warrior to quickly bow. "Queen Moon, o fair, rightful ruler of Earth-ni," she chanted. "The humans have given us a tool to subdue these wily lands under Mewman rule once and for all!"

The queen narrowed her eyes, "You mean a gun? I've seen those things."

"Yes, and this Thunder-Wand will kill Seth of Septarsis and get you the throne of Earth-ni!

Moon muttered something under her breath, and turned to walk away, "In that case, you can do your little thing, just make sure my builders get back to the building site on time."

"Will do, Queen Moon!" Mina turned to her growing army and grinned devilishly. The real Solarian warriors were on the rise.

___
What Now?

"Welcome to the first annual Leaders of Earth-ni Dinner!" Archibald greeted Star at the entrance to the Monster Temple's dining room, handing her a program. "Please enjoy your visit...er, actually you live here so nevermind."

Star stifled a giggle, trying hard to be polite, and dipped her head, "Thanks, Archie."

All around a massive table, the royal families of Earth-ni gathered in their finest dress and jewels to subtly impress one another in typical royal fashion. Flaunting obscene amounts of wealth was a ruler's specialty along with sitting still for long periods of time. Nevertheless, the atmosphere remained cordial as the guests exchanged news of their lives since the Cleave, and the friendliness of the royals was attributed to the nice ambiance created by the decorations. Eclipsa had fresh flowers and candles scattered about in neat arrangements and removed the pictures of Globgor razing villages, which were painted in blood. I'm so glad the Spiderbites didn't get too offended, Star felt embarrassed about the last royal dinner she attended when introducing the descendants of Eclipsa's ex-husband to their new queen.

Star hung back towards the entrance and observed the royals seated at the table. For the most part, they sat according to family, but the kings and princes were on their feet making rounds to see their friends. Their wives, the queens and princesses, kept a good eye on them, especially since the servants had brought in a new keg of wine. I really hope Dad and King Pony Head limit themselves today, Star watched in dismay as they guzzled down goblets of drink. Normally, the festive mood would have spurred the blonde to act more social, but a glum mood possessed her. She was an outsider this time. The royals had titles, power, and wealth, but Star had none of that now. Even her lineage wasn't noble. I feel so out of place. Feeling nervous, she played with a lock of her hair, which she kept down despite wearing her old princess dress.

"Everything alright?" Marco asked as he tucked the program in his jacket pocket. "You've been staring off into space." He wore his snazzy prince outfit, complete with the brass trim and gray cape. Why does he have to look so dashing in everything? Star sharply inhaled to keep from drooling, and her awestruck expression spread a gentle blush on his cheeks. "Star?" He waved his hand before her frozen face. "Do you need a moment...?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine...just wondering why Eclipsa invited us since I'm not a princess anymore."

"But you'll always be my princess," he stroked her cheek. "And I think Eclipsa wanted us here to support her since we helped save the kingdom."

"True..."

"Wanna find our seats?" Marco held out his arm in an invitation.

"Sure," Star replied glumly. They linked arms while Marco read the place cards on the napkins, carrying them closer to the front of the room. This can't be right, they exchanged a glance when they noticed that their seats were right next to Eclipsa and Globgor. Only the most important and powerful guests sat next to the king and queen. To make sure, Star read the cards herself and spied their names written in gold leaf: Star Butterfly & Marco Diaz.

"Wow," Marco let out a low whistle. "Just look at this inlay..."

On the boy's other side, Moon noticed and narrowed her eyes before turning away again. What's up with Mom? Star wondered but sat down with her boyfriend, dismissing the matter. A few of the other monarchs whispered amongst each other about the pair briefly, then returned to their food, causing Star to frown. What massive faux pas did she commit this time? In the past, her wild behavior made a lot of enemies out of the posh royals, but today, she was following the rules. Whatever, the blonde grumbled, looking away to take her mind off of the sudden chilliness in the room.

Across from her, she saw a couple of new faces among the Spiderbites—Slime's parents. It was highly unusual for royal invitations to be extended to commoner guests, although Star soon understood the answer when she saw the closeness of Slime and Penelope. Get a room you two, she rolled her eyes. The couple was likely nearing betrothal. Penelope was a couple of years older, so the upgrade made sense. I wonder when Marco and I should get married, she glanced at her partner. The thought came across her mind every once and awhile. If the two of them could cleave dimensions together, then marriage was an easy commitment. Despite being the go-getter between them, Star wanted Marco to propose to her. She imagined him picking a romantic spot somewhere and slowly kneeling before her, asking Star to be his forever...

"Star? Uh... the meeting is about to start," Marco's whisper interrupted her daydream.

Oh, right, dinner, she sat up straight. The guests had all settled in their seats as Eclipsa rose to her feet. "Good evening, rulers of Earth-ni," she greeted. "And welcome to the first annual Leaders of Earth-ni dinner." She waited for the applause to dissipate before continuing, "A lot has changed recently, and I hope that establishing this dinner will increase communication and cooperation between our kingdoms. There's not an issue we can't tackle together, so I open the floor to hear about the news affecting your kingdoms. Who would like to start first?"

"I would," King Dave stood. "The Underworld has been faring okay since the Cleave, although it's hard visiting other kingdoms. The humans screamed and called my wife 'Satan.' I don't even know what that is, but I think it's something bad. Also, we're missing our son, Tom. We haven't seen him in months. Is he okay? We're so desperate to see our boy again..." The king and queen of the Underworld sobbed as they returned to their seats.

"Okay..." Eclipsa shifted nervously. "Who else wants to go next?"

"I will," said Queen Kelpbottom. "Queen Eclipsa, you need to do something about pollution in the waterways! We've adapted to Mewni trash, but the humans have these rings that bind cans of soda together. They get stuck around our people's neck and choke them! And don't get me started about the chemicals..."

The other royals started to grow antsy, but Eclipsa raised her hand to quiet them. "I have an announcement before we continue," she silently took the crown off her head, causing a collective gasp to escape from the royals. "I had to abdicate the throne to save the monsters from Mina, and I have no intention of taking it back up again. Instead, I wish to spend the rest of my days reconnecting with my family in peace. I hope you respect my wishes and may another, more worthy leader take my place." She set the crown on the corner of the table next to Star and sat down.

All eyes suddenly fell on the blonde, and she couldn't figure out why. A hushed silence fell on the royals until Dave cleared his throat to speak, "Okay...Queen Star, what now? What do we do about the Cleave?"

"Excuse me?!" She nearly choked. Part of her wanted to open her mouth and tell the royals to talk to Moon, but the pleading quality to their gaze melted her heart. They needed a new order of leader, one who could understand their needs as well as the needs of the monsters and Mewmans. But I'm just a teenager... she panicked at the weight of responsibility handed to her. I can't do this on my own.

Marco placed a hand on hers and spoke, "I don't know about the other issues, but I saw Tom about a week ago."

Dave smiled, wiping away a tear, "Bless you, King Marco."

"Uh..." the boy blushed and awkwardly tugged on his collar. "I wouldn't go that far...Star and I are only dating."

His words went right over their heads. "Queen Star and King Marco," King Spiderbite addressed them. "We have to talk about how the humans and their tolling machines pose a risk to vulnerable spider habitat!"

"Or about airplanes flying into my kingdom!" King Pony Head interrupted.

"Excuse me, your Majesty, the monsters are also polluting the water!"

"Yeah, and what about monsters!"

"WILL EVERYONE SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS?!" Star's yell silenced the room. When they stopped, she continued. "Thank you. I'm flattered that you've turned to me and Marco, and yes, we will help the best we can, but we also need to find solutions that can affect all of these things. Like I'm sure an environmental initiative would save the water and the spiders."

"But my issues are more important!" King Kelpbottom objected.

"Oh, knock it off," objected the Spiderbite queen. "Eclipsa and I formed a tighter alliance."

"Here we go with that dumb alliance again..."

The arguing rose to a fever pitch as royals chose sides in the arguments and tried to insist that their issues were more pressing. Star watched the mini civil war erupt, feeling helpless. How could she lead them if they still acted like entitled babies? Earth-ni was about bringing worlds together, and the kingdoms also needed to cooperate too. The new queen was about to make her pronouncement when Moon beat her to it.

"Calm down, everyone!" She snapped. "I see what our real problem is...we need a leader. A real one. Eclipsa may have allowed Star the crown, but my daughter is too young, irresponsible, and immature to lead an entire dimension. You'll need someone like me. I have experience and kept Mewni peaceful during my reign."

"That's true," the royals murmured to themselves.

Enraged, Star countered, "Yeah, and then you had the bright idea to betray the monsters, who are your subjects too, just to get the throne back. Tell me that's not 'irresponsible' and 'immature...'"

"And you're the one who's caused the most issues for the kingdom, Star," Moon argued. "Remember Song Day? Remember the monster bash? Remember the Cleaving? You destroyed the magic..."

"What was I supposed to do? Let your Solarian warriors kill the monsters and never see my boyfriend again?" Star started to sweat as her body grew hotter like a solar flare. How dare her mother put her ambition over her own daughter's happiness.

Just before the battle could get any more heated, Eclipsa stepped in. "I have a suggestion," she stood between the rival queens. "Why don't we vote on who should be the new queen? Y'know, a little democracy."

"We could," Dave replied. "But why should we even consider Star? Moon's right, leaving the world to a fifteen-year-old is a bad idea."

"Or maybe it's what we need," Penelope spoke up. "Your generation had its chance and look at what you did. We need a queen for the future, and how can I forgive Moon for almost having Slime killed?"

"Yeah..." the younger princes and princesses agreed, however, the older royals remained firmly sided with Moon.

Eclipsa thought about it for a second and exchanged a glance with her husband. "I have an idea," he said. "How about Star and Moon prove themselves worthy in a contest."

"I suggest Game of Flags!" Uncle Grunt replied. "The game is simple: whoever puts their flag on top of the dangerous Hill of Flag first wins. It'll be Moon and her husband versus Star and her husband!"

"Uh...Marco's just my boyfriend, Uncle Grunt," Star blushed.

He shrugged, "Same thing."

Regardless, Star didn't mind proving herself worthy of leading, especially since Moon's attitude was so poor. Marco sighed, "Welp, guess I'm in too. Besides, when you do win, you'll need someone to rule with you."

"Thanks, Marco," she took his hand and turned to the royals, "Marco and I accept this contest for the leadership of Earth-ni!"

"As do me and River," Moon nodded.

~•~

After the deal was settled, the leaders of their kingdoms, along with Star, Marco, Moon and Eclipsa made their way to the Hill of Flags, that got preserved with the Cleaving. It was on the edge of downtown Echo Creek, camouflaged by the other mountain ranges. It was abandoned, as the Butterflies stopped playing flags after the last game that they played for about a year before because of how much of a disaster it was.

Star watched as the royals took their places, eyeing her as she grasped her boyfriend's hand. She could feel her heart beating in her throat as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. After last playing Flags, she thought the whole concept was stupid, but if it meant proving her mother wrong, then she would do it and win no matter what.

"Star and Marco versus Moon and River," Eclipsa's rang in her ears, "This competition will be so exciting!"

Star's eyes wandered to her mother, whose eyes she swore glimmered with envy, "I've played a lot of Game of Flags in my day, I can assure you that this will be fairly easy. I have to win for the fate of Earth-ni."

Fate of Earth-ni? Why did she want to win so badly? Star's mind echoed. Her mom was so obsessed with shutting her down every time the possibility of her leading Earth-ni was brought up, and she couldn't understand why. Star just wanted to bring peace in the midst of the tension, not to rule it to fuel her massive ego. She wasn't sure if that was her mother's true intentions, but that was the impression she was getting.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of her father jumping around in a bear suit around the former queen of Mewni. "You got this, Moon Pie!" He roared and put a hood over his head as he prepared for the competition to begin. Her dad may be wild at times, but he didn't blatantly doubt her like her mother did, right?

Star rolled her eyes as her thoughts started to leak out into words. "What is her problem? Why does she want to rule Earth-ni so badly? I thought this ruling thing would be over, but I can't leave the fate of Earth-ni to a lunatic like my mother!" She crossed her arms and groaned and was met with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Marco gave her a reassuring half smile, "Easy Star, we nearly won the game of flags before, this should be a piece of cake!" His eyes wandered to a bubbling pool of magma on the hill, and his look tightened. "...No matter how dangerous it is."

"Flags is dumb," the blonde replied, "but if it means saving Earth-ni from Mom's outdated ways of running Mewni, then we have to win it." She gripped the heart and moon emblazoned flag tighter in her grasp, her eyes flashing with determination. "We just gotta divide and conquer. We split up and make sure they can't get a solid lead on us. They have my dad on their team, and we know how athletic that little man can be."

The boy shuddered at the memory of their camping trip. "Oh definitely. Don't worry, even without your magic I'm sure we can kick their butts!" He did some karate chops and kicks, animating his reassurance. "I mean, you climbed the whole hill the last time we played, so this should be nothing for you! You're awesome at this sort of thing!"

She smiled softly,"Thanks, Marco. I'm still a bit nervous, I mean, these are my parents were playing against. Remember how angry my mom was to be catching us playing against her orders? Maybe she'll royally destroy us just to spite us."

Before Marco could offer more comforting words, they were interrupted by Eclipsa scooping them close to her in a warm embrace, which they happily returned.

"Good luck you two, I have faith in you! You two can win, you just have to. The Cleaving has had quite the effect on your mother's psyche, if you know what I mean," the former queen of darkness remarked.

Star rolled her eyes as she thought about her mother's earlier comments, "Tell me about it. We need to win, after all, this whole Cleaving thing is Marco and I's fault. The least we can do is make it right."

Eclipsa's eyes lit up, "That's the spirit!" She then walked to her spot at the edge of the mountain, bringing her hands up as she raised her voice. "Alright, places everyone!"

The girl took her partner's hand, and they walked to the starting line together as the royals looked on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Wrathmelior smiling at her despite their tensions while she was still with Tom. Penelope and Slime also smiled at the two of them as they held each other closely.

Moon and River walked to their places beside the young couple, and Star felt her heart pump faster as she swore she saw Moon shoot an ice cold glare in her direction. It sorta hurt her, as her mother was so focused on winning to care about giving her daughter the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay, Marco, it's go time," Star softly whispered to her partner, "Remember what I said about dividing and conquering, we need to win this, understand?"

"We got this, we totally got this," Marco replied firmly.

Their attention was averted when they saw Moon climb onto River's back and the little man adjusting his bear suit. He looked over at the two of them. "Good luck to my daughter and son-in-law, but I must say that this is WARRRRR, and we will crush you both! Moon Pie and I will win this final Game of Flags for all of us, for Earth-ni!"

"In your dreams, old man," Star shot back. Before the situation could get any more tense, Eclipsa called out from high above her tower.

"Are we ready to begin? The fate of the future leader of Earth-ni rests in the hands of these four people right here!"

Star turned her head to see Penelope shooting the two of them a double thumbs-up, Slime's arm wrapped around her waist. She smiled back before gripping her flag tightly.

"The rules are simple," Eclipsa began, "Whoever can put their flag at the top of the hill first, wins. Due to the previous events that happened with the last game of flags including several people nearly losing their lives, the rules have been changed to make it more of a fair game. No cheating, which basically means no setting traps for the opposing team to fall into. Now that we have established the rules, let's begin. On your mark... get set..."

The girl felt her blood boil as she saw her mother across from her, giving her a devious smirk. She had to win this, to prove her mother dead wrong. Of course, she knew in her heart that she was wrong, but she had to show the rest of Earth-ni as well.

"...GO!"

Star felt herself practically fly as she sprang into action, pumping her legs as fast as she could. She kicked up dust as she ran with Marco by her side, trying to gain a steady lead on her mother. Moon was riding her husband like a horse, which would probably give them an advantage later on.

"Okay Marco," she began, "We need to keep our lead on my parents. Let's split up to make sure my mom isn't scheming behind our backs."

Marco looked over at his girlfriend as he strained himself, raising an eyebrow. "You'd think she'd do that? She seems to be playing fairly so far..." he stopped himself mid-sentence as he looked over his shoulder to see his father-in-law galloping on all fours with his wife on his back. "...well, not so fairly, I guess?"

"It's my mother for corn's sake," Star replied with a sneer, "Everything she does is malicious. I mean, she literally revived an army of ancient warriors just because of a misunderstanding. I know she said she'd change her ways, but after what she said at the meeting, I don't think the cuckoo is completely out of her system."

The boy softened his expression, "Yeah, that rubbed me the wrong way as well. Don't worry though, Star, with a little determination, we can beat your folks cleanly."

The teenagers approached the severe weather part of the map, and torrential downpours made it hard to see. Lightning flashed up ahead, giving it an ominous vibe. However, this did not stop Star. She was determined to win, and she pressed forward. She looked back to see her boyfriend rolling his eyes.

"Oh man. I don't do wet socks!"

She grabbed him by the hoodie and pulled him into the rain. "Wet socks don't care about your feelings, Diaz!"

Star and Marco made their way through the severe weather, not stopping as mud slicked their footwear and made it hard to trudge forward. The girl didn't see any sight of her parents after the race first began, much to her relief, and she thought she should bask in this while she still could because her gut told her that they would catch up to their lead real soon.

After about a minute or so, they got through the rainstorm, and the sun beat down on them as their feet crunched against the snowy peak. Star could feel her stamina running out as they ran across a narrow path, complete with a 30-foot drop below. Her pace slowed as she tried to catch her breath, and Marco kept a steady jog in front of her.

All of a sudden, Star felt her legs give as she felt a force clamp down on her arm, throwing her overboard. She didn't even scream as the utter shock overtook her, and before she knew it, she was holding onto dear life to the icy ledge, begging that she could keep her strength so she wouldn't fall to her inevitable death.

The blonde looked up, the force on her hands growing tighter. She saw two greyish-blue eyes staring back at her, the lifeless expression on her face. She unmasked herself by taking her hood off of her head. Star couldn't believe what she was seeing, and emotions churned within her. She didn't know whether to feel sad, betrayed, or angry.

"...Mom?"

She didn't answer. Time seemed to fly by at light speed.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Her voice quivered, "I think you're getting way too into this..."

"Earth-ni needs a real leader, Star," her mother replied.

"...Real leader? Wha?..."

"Yes. I'm sorry dear, but Earth-ni needs a real leader, and that leader is me."

Before Star could even blink, the force on her hands loosened, and she felt her skin slipping against the icy rocks as it left her palms. She was falling, and her mother didn't even help her up. She felt herself scream as there was nothing to catch her fall but the cold, snowy ground 30 feet below.

"STAR!" She faintly heard Marco's voice and could see a silhouette of him up above.

Her body hit the snow again and again as she rolled down the mountainside until she stopped and face-planted into the snow. Everything went black as pain overtook her body. This was the worst pain she had felt in a long time, and not just physical pain either.

~•~

Warmth. Warmth flooded in and replaced the cold, and Star felt drawn to it. Her mouth turned up into a smile, and she slowly cracked open her eyelids. The sun seeped into her line of sight, and the image of the snow-capped mountain up above reminded her what happened who knows how long ago.

She looked down to see the person she loved the most hugging her tightly, his ear pressed against her chest. She recalled herself doing the same. Listening to his heartbeat soothed her nerves, and here was Marco doing the same. She gently hugged him back with one arm, stroking his coffee-brown hair.

Marco looked up at her, slightly releasing her from his grasp. His eyes lit up as he saw her coming too. "Oh my gosh, Star, I'm so glad you're awake! I was just checking your vital signs. You aren't injured, are you? I can't believe that happened. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you!"

"I'm fine, Marco," she murmured. She spoke too soon as a pain shot through her right leg. She looked down to see her striped leggings torn, and a big gash painting her knee bright red. Scrapes covered her arms and possibly the rest of her. Star groaned as the dull pain surged through her nervous system.

"You are totally not fine," Marco said as he helped the girl to her feet. She clung to him, careful not to lose her balance. "You're hurt. We can't complete the race while you're in this condition. Besides, Moon and River are probably far ahead by now."

Moon. Her mother. The person who literally pushed her off the cliff. It filled her with rage and the jolt that she felt made her push through the extreme pain. Her mother was out there, and possibly was going to finish the race and be crowned rightful leader of Earth-ni, and by corn, Star could not let that happen over her dead body. She was Star Butterfly, and Star Butterfly was going to kick her mother's butt if it was the last thing she did. She couldn't just lay down and die, she had to get back up and finish what she started.

"...No."

"No?" Marco said in confusion. "But Star, you're hurt. We can't run like this."

"Come on Marco, we need to keep going. For us, for Earth-ni."

"Star..." Marco looked at her in concern. "Are you sure...?"

"I'm positive," Star replied. "Now, we have a game to finish."

She reached in the snow and grabbed her flag, then started to run up the mountainside with more determination than she had previously.

~•~

After forcing herself back up the snowy cliff, Starco was back in the game. With a little perseverance, they could smell the finish line. It was only a little further ahead, and they were a lick away at passing Moon and River. Star could taste the sweetness of victory on the tip of her tongue.

Moon had stopped riding River like a trusty steed and was now running with her flag in toe, determined to beat her daughter. It was Star versus Moon now, and she could tell that her mother was confused as to how she recovered from such a severe fall.

20 feet... 15 feet... the finish line was getting closer and closer. Star just needed to push herself harder. She just had to win this competition. So many of Earth-ni's citizens were counting on her and Marco, and she couldn't let them down.

Then all of a sudden, Moon tripped.

Star stopped in her tracks as her mother fell into the mud puddle. She looked behind to see Marco and River fighting.

"Help me, Star!" Moon cried, reaching her hand out to her daughter.

Excuse me, my own mother just pushed me off of a mountainside, and now she expects me to help her? Star felt insulted. "No way, you snake!"

"Please," the former queen said.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, mother," the blonde said as she reached down to grab the flag in the mud. "We have a race to finish."

Star grabbed the flag and made a mad dash for the finish line, Marco coming up behind her with River a bit behind. He stopped to help Moon out of the mud, which gave Star and Marco a clean and easy victory. Cheers sounded as they crossed the finish line. "Go, team Starco!"

It felt great. Star smiled as she held her boyfriend's hand, taking in the victory that they had achieved together, despite her mother doubting her and going as far as tossing her down a mountain.

"Give it up for team Starco!" Eclipsa cheered, coming up behind the two of them. The applause got louder as the women held Star and Marco's hands up in the air. "I hereby announce them as the new official leaders of Earth-ni! They will guide us towards a more peaceful society in the midst of the Cleaving!"

The girl felt a smile appear on her face. Her and Marco could finally start attempting to fix all of the issues they have caused with their happy accident, and they would start by trying to bring peace to all of the former kingdoms and societies that inhabited this strange new world.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Moon standing beside her father with a sad expression on her face. It made her sick. After what she did, she had the audacity to feel sad? She felt no pity.

"I think these two show us the kind of leaders Earth-ni really needs," Eclipsa began again, "Courageous, determined, and full of integrity. Not someone who is willing to kill their own daughter for power..."

The cheers and claps started back up again, and the words that came from Eclipsa's mouth gave Star a shock. She knew and possibly saw what happened.

"I knew you could do it," Marco said, pulling the girl into a warm embrace, in which she happily returned. Star smiled and hugged him back, shutting her eyes and smiling softly.

The smile quickly left as she opened her eyes to see her mother slinking away from the scene.

___

A/N: Special thanks to Sea Crystal over on svtfoe amino for making the lovely poster!