The house was silent—much quieter than she remembered.

A pack of puppies barreled toward her, barking and shooting lasers happily. They knocked Star to the ground with an oof. Her bag bounced across the floor and its contents spilled out.

Star shoved a puppy out of her face. "Boy, you guys have gotten big!" she laughed. One dog leapt on her stomach and she gasped, then groaned. "Okay, get off. You just squished all of my organs."

A shrill whistle cut through the air. The puppies sat around Star in unison, their tongues hanging out as they pant. Star leaned against her elbows and gazed up at the new company.

"If you guys are barking at nothing again, I swear-" Jackie stopped in the doorway. The kitchen light behind her only allowed Star to see their silhouette, but she knew that voice anywhere.

"What happened? Did you finally see the ghost?" he joked. That voice… It's not as nasally. It's deeper, older. That's not the Marco she talked to six months ago.

"Not a ghost," Jackie answered. As Star climbed to her feet, a light flipped on. She and Jackie stared at each other a moment, looking over the changes.

Jackie had grown an inch or two and her hair just barely passed her shoulders. There were still traces of blue at the tips that faded into the blonde. She had a diamond in the side of her nose that glistened in the light, but she looked the same. Her face, her clothes, it was exactly how Star remembered.

Star's hair fell just above her shoulders. She grew out her bangs until they blended with the rest of her hair. Her horns were gone; Jackie noticed that first. Star wore a long dark blue gown with sequenced beans across the neckline and down the torso. The bottom of her dress was ripped into shreds and splattered with mud. Star's hair was wet and stuck to her cheeks. Jackie knew she'd been through a lot already.

Marco stepped into the doorway then, wondering what was going on. Star's heart skipped a beat. He was taller now, fitter. He wore a red tank top that showed off his arms, which had filled out with muscles. His hair and face looked the same, but Star could see a bit of stubble across his jawline.

"Star," he whispered and her stomach flipped; her named sounded almost foreign in his voice.

Jackie looked between the two anxiously, unsure of what to do.

"Hi," Star squeaked. She offered the best smile she could, but her cheeks hurt.

"Wha-What are you doing here?" he stuttered. He blinked several times to make sure she was real—he'd had this dream one too many times.

Star chewed on her lip. "It's a long story, but I was forced to evacuate. I'm sorry, I know what I said before, but-"

"No, no," Marco interrupted. "It's okay. You know you're always welcome here."

Jackie looked at her bare wrist. "Wow, it's getting late, I better get going." She stepped back into the kitchen, grabbed her bag off the stool, and headed for the door with Marco hot on her heels.

"You don't have to leave, Jackie," he said, opening the door for her. "It's just Star."

"Just Star," she repeated with a snort. "No biggie, just your best friend who admitted to having a crush on you and probably still has a crush on you."

Star glanced at the couple and strained her ears. They spoke too softly to be heard. With a sigh, she walked into the kitchen.

"Jackie," Marco pleaded. Jackie sighed.

"Marco, it's not a big deal. Go talk to her; she looks like she's been through a lot." She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Marco sighed, watching her wave before disappearing down the street.

Star had already found a box of cookies when Marco returned to the kitchen. She looked up and smiled with her mouth full of cookies. Marco chuckled.

"Gross, Star. I figured you would've learned some manners in six months."

Star swallowed. "I did. My mom forced me to learn princess-y things. It was just as boring as I imagined."

Marco leaned against the counter across from her. "Why didn't you come back with me, then?"

Her face fell and she looked at her hands. "There was no reason for me to be here anymore."

"You mean besides summer and school and all your friends? Earth isn't the asme without you, Star."

"Earth is exactly how it's supposed to be."

Marco pursed his lips; he didn't want another fight between them. "So, what are you doing here?"

She was grateful for a subject change, "A sickness broke out all over the kingdom and my parents wanted me out of reach."

"Are they okay?"

"I don't think so," she answered quietly.

"What happened to your dress, then? Were you attacked?"

"No," Star blushed. "I went for a walk this morning in the woods and may or may not have fallen."

Marco snorted. "There's the Star I remember. You can have the guest bedroom, of course. You wouldn't believe how much I missed your room."

Star stared at him, eyes wide. He stared back and slowly realized what he just said. "I-I just mean that I missed you and-and my house looks weird without an extra tower sticking out the side of it."

She giggled. "There's the Marco I remember." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I think I'm going to head to bed; Long day and all, you know."

"Right, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

She slid off her stool and closed the cookies back up. Marco couldn't help but watch her. He just couldn't believe she was really back, eating his food in his house again. It all seemed like a dream he was going to wake from again.

"Hey, Star?" he said as she began to leave. She looked back at him over her shoulder. Marco smiled. "I'm really glad you're back."

She returned the smile. "Me too. Goodnight, Marco."

"Goodnight."

And although he's not sure he'd actually admit it to anyone, that was the best sleep he'd had in six months.

•••••

Meanwhile, somebody lurked through the dimensions. They moved like a shadow, silent and as though they weren't even there. There was a bottle filled to the brim with a glowing pink liquid tucked under their armpit. They stood on a rock that overlooked the undersea kingdom below. City lights shimmered under the water's surface. The mysterious person tipped the glowing liquid onto their hand and held it over the water. Pink seeped through the spaces between their fingers as they whispered an ancient spell that hadn't been spoken in centuries. They dropped the gunk into the water and smiled at the pink grew into something larger. It sunk beneath the surface and would soon contaminate the city below.

By dawn, half of the kingdom will be infected.

By nightfall, the Waterfolk will be defenseless.

I'm so hyped for this. Honestly, I am :D :D

This isn't a love story. Not really. I mean this will eventually end in Starco, but this story isn't centered around love and romance. I'm gonna try and make it an even balance of Starco, Tomstar (am I the only one who likes that ship?), Jarco, and a whole bunch of Princess Star the Bad-A.

Anyways, remember to leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks in advance and I hope you have a great day :)