There once were gods.

But before there were gods, there was nothing.

And before there was nothing. There was Dream.

It was a time where Dream was everything, and everything was Dream.

Dream simply was.

And in a lot of ways, he still is.

But Dream had a sister. She was Fate.

Dream and Fate once existed elsewhere. Under different points of views. But here they were something else entirely.

Fate made a Glossary. To keep order, to teach.

But this was a new world. Glossary ceased.

Glossary was Fate's servant no more, instead Fate's shadows – Freedom.

This was the Word. And the Word was absolute.

Part 1: Mister Sandman

"Psst…"

A faint voice floated by in the distance.

"Psst… hey…"

It grew closer.

"Hey… wake up… little girl…"

WAKE UP!

Star's eyes flung wide open.

The woman sat up from her bed, and under the bright moonlight hitting her through the window – there she saw him.

A man sitting by the end of her bed.

He wore a white tailcoat with a black shirt and a neat little bow tie secured meticulously underneath. On his shoulders was a long flowing blue cape with golden trims. He was looking at her through a pair of strange black goggles attached to a leather aviator helmet over his head.

He smiled, it looked like a young smile, but Star vaguely recognized this man, and she knew he was older than most universes. The infinite flow of energy inside his cape was clear. A fabric woven with infinite strands of rivers, infinite strands of thought flowing from every person and thing in existence capable of dreaming. The cape lit up in ways no science could explain. Lighting up ideas, songs, stories, thoughts, emotions, journeys.

"Do… do I know you?" Star squinted her eyes, still struggling to make out his features.

The man merely laughed:

"Even non-sentient subatomic particles should recognize who I am when I pay them a visit. What's the use of your godhood if you're not going to use those senses?"

Star looked closer, and a flood of knowledge instantly filled up in her mind. Finally unlocking a dormant memory of hidden powers.

"I'm still trying to get used to these new powers," said Star. "It… confuses me sometimes. Where have you been? Haven't seen you around much."

The man smiled:

"I was on a train. It's outside of creation. It was fascinating. I should tell you about it sometimes."

"Cut to the chase. What do you want?" Star stood up to put on her night robe. Tying the red string around her waist.

"You know exactly what I want."

"Then get out of my room," Star pointed to the window. "My answer is still no."

"You know I can't allow that."

"You don't allow a lot of things."

"True," Dream nodded. "Funny thing you should know. Our powers and limits are more defined by what we are not allowed to do rather than what we cannot physically do. Rules, traditions dictate us."

"Your traditions can eat my boots."

"It applies to me, my sister, and to you as well," Dream smiled. "It applies to Zeus, Highfather, Odin, Rao, Prismo, the Axolotl. So don't think you can just avoid responsibility like that."

"You're strong. Why don't you just do it yourself? For your information I abolished the Mewman monarchy for a reason. I'm not cut out for the job. It's caused me and Marco too much grief."

"And yet… you are cut out for… War?"

Star briefly glanced into the empty void of Dream, trying to read his eyes. But it was impossible with that thick goggles of his hiding away his endless, eternal visions of a being who could see all ideas existing and non-existing in the cosmos.

She shook her head and said:

"I fight. That is what I'm good at."

"And still you ask for peace?"

"I fight – so that Marco won't have to. So that I won't have to when we… hmm… it doesn't really matter. All you need to know is that this is a sweet gig for me. The Dream world he and I have made with each other. It's nice. I like it to stay that way. Come, I'll give you a little tour."

Part 2: A New Life

The new school year had just emerged from around the corner, and Marco intended for it to be a good one. The boy had meticulously planned out every step of the way with a complicated but surefire formula. A formula to his life here at Echo Creek Academy. The numbers could not lie, he told himself. And it was true. Numbers were as absolute as the Word.

The only problem was his equation was incomplete, because he never accounted for the possibility of an exchange student from a far distant land being dropped into his life out of nowhere.

Enter Star Butterfly.

A bright, radiant young girl with beautiful golden locks of hair letting itself loose in the Mercy of the wind. She came from a place far away from here. All the way from the United Kingdom, right on the other side of the globe. Her mother, Mrs. Moon Butterfly was a physician. Her father, Mr. River Butterfly, a car mechanic. The family decided to move here to the States when Star was just a little girl.

"It's so nice to meet you all," the girl waved her hands as she stood in front of the class. "I'm really excited to get to know everyone here."

"Alright, go ahead and take a seat next to safe kid over there," said the teacher.

"Don't mind if I do," Star smiled, and danced her way towards the young boy in awe of her mesmerizing radiance.

It was difficult to take his eyes off her. But when their gazes met one another, he quickly turned his head, hiding the blush rising from his face. Her brilliant sky-blue eyes locking with his own chestnut colored pair. It was electrifying.

"Hello there," Star beamed brightly at the boy.

He was mildly confused, turning his head left and right to see if she was waving at someone else.

"Me?" He blurted out. "You're talking to me?"

"Yeah, you silly," the girl giggled, before extending her hand. "Hi, I'm Star. What's your name?"

"Um… yeah… hi," the boy shook her hand, "I'm Marco."

"Nice to meet you, Marco. Let us be good friends from here on out, okay?"

"Yes… yeah," he blushed just as she smiled. "It would be an honor, ahem… to be friends with someone as pretty as you. Um… wait, no, no, that's not what I mean. You're not pretty. NO! What I meant to say is… it would be my honor to be… friends with someone of your particular… presentation… not to say you're not pretty, you are very pretty, just… no, what I meant to say is… oh, why is this happening? This wasn't part of the plan!"

Star gleefully giggled at the flustered boy.

"You're cute," she said.

It just made things worse from where he sat, as his face was now nothing but crimson red and steam furiously exhaling out of his own skin. The boy was out of his comfort zone, out of safety, because none of this was in the plan.

"Quiet down in the back there," the teacher raised his voice. "You can socialize after we're done with class, Mr. Diaz. But right now, I need you to pay attention."

"Sorry, sir," Marco stood up, even more flustered now as the whole class was looking on and chuckling in their seats, watching him shout out, "it won't happen again."

"Good," said the teacher. "Now where was I? Ah, yes. Listen up class. Imagine there is a hotel, inside there is an infinite amount of rooms with infinite amount of hotel guests being booked for the night…"

"Huh?" Star instantly turned her head towards the blackboard.

"Now," the teacher continued, "a new guest suddenly comes knocking at the front door, tired, and hungry. Probably annoyed when he overhears some of the employees say the hotel has been fully booked. But 'not to worry' says the hotel manager, as he goes on ahead and notifies all of the residents of the hotel, kindly asking the resident of room one to move to room two, room two to move to room three, and so on. Thus, effectively making a new room. Quite absurd and illogical."

"I don't think this is the kind of problem high school kids and teens should be thinking about in these early school years," said Star.

"Of course not, silly head," said the teacher. "I'm trying to set the stage here. This is a lesson for you, Star."

"I don't know, Dream," said Star. "A little math riddle or brain teaser or whatever isn't exactly going to change my answer."

"Surely it must change some perspectives, no?" Dream commanded. "You ask of me to let you keep your powers, let you live this life of luxury and ignore your responsibility just because of my infinite authority. It doesn't work like that young lady. You can't add one to infinity. The system is infinity, YOU are part of the system, and I can't have someone else do what you do and add one to infinity if you still exist within the system."

"Why not?" Star tilted her head. "If you are infinite and eternal, then surely you can do it. And it should be a cake walk for you no less."

"Because I don't want to."

"AH HA!" Star cried triumphantly, snapping her fingers, "You can but you don't want to."

"It's boring."

"Not my problem, pal."

"It will be when you get a taste of infinity," said Dream. "Infinity is addicting. You're going to want change, stories, ideas. This life here, this simple mundane life. Is this your idea of a perfect world?"

The young girl glanced around the scene of the classroom. There she saw her classmates, her friends, the one she loves.

Janna, Jackie, Sabrina, StarFan, Lilacia, Justin, Kelly, and even Alphonse, Fergus and Brittney Wong. Simple life – simple friends.

But none of these were a guarantee. For that she turned to Marco Ubaldo Diaz. He looked at the boy whose smile were as bright as the sun. A boy who accepted her into his life even when he did not ask for it, and even with her destructive capabilities. He accepted her, and smiled on.

His warmth reassured her, and with that she turned back to Dream with her answer:

"Yes."

Part 3: Go with Me?

The school bell rang, thus the period had ended. Marco began to wonder what the next class was going to be. He cursed himself for leaving the timetable in his locker. He thought he didn't need it, under normal circumstances he could've memorized it fairly quick. But lately he had been rather distracted.

"Hey Marco," Star snuck up from behind him, glowing with glee.

"Ah, Star! You startled me."

"I know," she smiled. "Just came out of Math class, right?"

"Um… yeah, pretty interesting lesson. Ms. Skullnick actually brought up String Theory, for whatever weird reason. It's actually really cool. I should tell you about it sometimes."

"You know I love hearing you talk about the math."

"You rarely ever pay attention to any of the lessons," Marco smirked.

"Well… scratch that, I just like hearing you talk."

Marco blushed at the sight of her smile. Prompting him to pull up his hoodie and turn his face away.

"So the school dance is coming up," said Star as she skipped along the hallway. "I've been talking a bunch with my girls and we were thinking of coming in this year with style. Last year was good, but I feel we could do way better. Lily told us she wanted to rent a limousine. Can you imagine? That'll be something now, wouldn't it?"

"Um, actually, about the dance," Marco cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… ahem…"

"Lay it on me buddy."

"I was thinking…" Marco's face continued to get redder as he glanced at Star's shimmering eyes, he tried to avert his gaze, but quickly shook his head, continuing to push on, "I was thinking… maybe… that maybe, we could… you know."

"Yeah?"

"That you and I… we could, you know… maybe go together to the dance?"

Star began to chuckle, in that brief instant, her laugh nearly dropped his heart into pieces.

"Well, duh. We're friends, Marco. Of course we'll go together. The more the merrier right? Janna's choice of music in the car last year was terrible I tell you. And Lily wouldn't get off her phone halfway through the night. So I'm definitely going to need my guy here with me."

"No, Star… um," said Marco. "What I'm trying to say is… ahem… I was thinking maybe we could… go together… just the two of us… to the dance… alone…"

"Oh…"

"Oh no," Marco gasped, "I made things weird. Why did I make things weird? No, no, no, I shouldn't have said that. Things are totally going to be awkward and different between us now, and she's going to hate you, and she's going to stop being friends with you and… and…"

"Marco, Marco," Star interrupted him, holding his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. With her cheeks getting warmer herself. "I… would… love to go with you to the dance actually."

"Really?" The boy's eyes lit up.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I think it could be fun."

"Great… great, I mean…" Marco cleared his throat, "Um… yeah… so…"

"So…"

"So… cool…"

"Cool…"

"I guess I'll see you around," said Marco, grabbing his books from his locker, "good talk, good talk. Got English coming up next. So be seeing you."

"Um, Marco?"

"Yeah?"

"We've got the same class silly," Star giggled.

"Oh…"

Part 4: Make Him the Cutest that I've Ever Seen

"Where did I… MOM!" Marco called out from his room, "Did you see where I put my comb? I could've sworn I left it here on my desk."

"Try looking in the drawer, honey," Angie yelled from the stairs, "your father may have borrowed it."

"Oh gosh, oh gosh," cried Marco. "Gotta hurry, can't be late. Where is my tie? Where is it? I know I left it in here somewhere. Wait a minute, where's my jacket? It was right here just a minute ago! Where… where… where…"

"Marco? Honey," his mother peaked into his room, "you doing alright here? You know you have another whole hour until the dance, right? And Star lives right next door, so you don't have to…"

"Of course I have to, mom!" He cried, desperately digging through the mountain of clothes all over his room. "Do you know how much stuff could be done within an hour? Like at the very least – a lot. A LOT I tell you."

"Chillax, bro-bro," Mariposa stood by the door, munching on a bag of chips. "You stress out too much your forehead wrinkles are going to show."

"I don't have forehead wrinkles!" Cried Marco. "At least I don't think… do I have forehead wrinkles? That shouldn't be physically possible!"

"I can see sweat traveling right down those lines, bro. I better take a picture of this, it's going to be so hilarious."

"Hush now, Mariposa," said Angie, "stop teasing your brother like that. You know it's a very big day for him."

"Your mother is right," Rafael popped up from behind. "Today is a very big day… for me as well. Oh, my son is becoming a man. They grow up so fast. I am just… so proud."

"Not helping," said Marco.

His thoughts were, however, cut off by the ringing of the bell. From the window they could see the Butterflys pull up by the sidewalk in front of the house with their brand-new car.

"Oh no!" Marco cried, "She's here! She's here! I'm not ready, I'm not…"

Mariposa cut the panicking boy off with several slaps to his face, grabbing him by the collar.

"Pull yourself together man! You and Star have been friends for YEARS. And tonight is your night. Are you going to let a little panic attack get in the way of a lifetime of happiness?"

"Um… no?"

"Say it like you mean it, brother! Let the Marimania run wild!"

"No," Marco shook his head, finally snapping out of it, "no, NO! You're right. You're absolutely right. Thank you, Mariposa. Tonight is the night, and I'm not about to let anything get in my way, not even if a planet falls out of the sky."

"YEAH, that's the spirit!" Mariposa shouted.

"Indoor voice, little sister," said Marco. "We need to get you off those wrestling shows on TV."

"I can't help it," smiled Mariposa. "Tonight I'm going to book my brother real strong."

"Right… how about you start by helping me find my jacket?"

Part 5: A Cosmic Dance

Marco took a whole good long while to step back and admire Star's radiant appearance for the night. Her usual long hair now tied up to a neat ponytail, with a lovely diamond hairpin securing it in place. Her dress, a seemingly traditional short pink cocktail dress with knee length skirt and straps over the shoulders.

But with a closer look, Marco began to see extra layers of silky frills woven expertly into various beautiful complex patterns laying on top, with a touch of smooth crimson color to spice things up, reminding him of the colors of the Blood Moon.

She smiled, beaming with light, and that warmth lit him up to a paradise he never thought he could reach in his lifetime.

"You look… beautiful."

"Thank you," Star smiled, twirling her hair as she hid her blush, "you look very dapper yourself. Look at you, getting all fancy with shoulder pieces, too."

"You like it? Apparently they call it epaulets, I had to look it up you see. It's traditionally used as an insignia for an officer's rank or status and all that, even worn by some royalties sometimes and in some ceremonies, too. I just… thought it looked cool, you know? Maybe I shouldn't have worn it tonight, you're so beautiful and I'm here just weird."

"Oh Marco," Star smiled, "you dork."

"Ah yes, yes," River guffawed as he got in between the two of them, holding them tight in his arms. "We all look lovely tonight, yes, yes, just absolutely magnificent I say."

River pulled Marco in close, and whispered in his ear:

"You bring our precious pumpkin back by ten or you're going to get it, Marco my boy. You got that?"

The boy gulped:

"Get… what?"

"IT!"

"Alright, enough prattling around everyone," Moon said, getting everyone's attention. "Come on, come on, let's get you two in for a quick little photo. Just a little something to commemorate the evening."

"Good idea, Moon-pie."

"Come, come, everybody gather around."

"This is going in the album for sure."

"Scooch over a little bit, will ya?"

"Now, now. Let's get the happy couple in the center right here."

"Alright, look straight into the camera now, don't blink yeah? Everyone, say Dream."

"Dream!"

Part 6: The Happiest Day of My Life

"… Happy birthday, dear Star Butterfly – happy birthday to you!"

"WOO HOO!"

"Hooray!"

"Woo, Star Butterfly girl, sweet 18, woo!"

"It's so wild."

"Go ahead, darling," Moon said. "Make a wish."

Star glanced deep into the flickering flame of the candles. All eighteen of them, knowing deep down she could've put A LOT more if she wanted accuracy, but for the humble feeling, the simplicity – eighteen would do just fine. A fire lighting brilliantly, without a trace of error or weakness. It lit consistent and stable, ready to be commanded.

And commanded she did. She made her wish, taking in one deep breath to blow them out with one swift gust. The room burst into a round of applause, laughter and cheers.

"Happy birthday, Star," Jackie said, raising a glass to her. "Stay awesome yeah?"

"You bet, ha-ha."

"Girl, I'm telling you this party is going to be off the roof," cried Lilacia. "You're gonna have the time of your life."

"Aw, thanks Lily," Star giggled. "I know you worked really hard to set all this up. Could barely get any of that beauty sleep I heard."

"Oh, don't thank me girl-friend," said Lilacia. "I'm going to be modest for once in my life and not take full credit. Because Turdina here definitely did way more stuff than me."

"Yeah, he did way more than any of us," said Janna. "He's been planning this for over a year."

"Oh, stop it guys," Marco laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't do that? I have a chart and everything. It's very cohesive I tell you. Mathematically proven, too."

Star pounced right onto the young man, wrapping herself around his arm as the party laughed on.

"You're the best," she smiled, with her eyes glimmering like starlight.

"Anything for you, my Shooting Star."

"You spoil me, Diaz."

"You're my precious princess after all."

"Aww."

"I love you, Star."

"I love you, too."

The two lovebirds melted into each other's embrace, pulling themselves closer into a long passionate kiss. They felt the warmth, his beating heart that soothed her mind. It sang a rhythm like that of a lullaby, beautiful and mythical.

"You've really outdone yourself, Marco," said Star.

"Yeah, Turdina," Lilacia joined in. "And keeping it all a secret for so long, too."

"You know what?" Star stood up. "I'm going to make it up to you, just to repay you."

"Oh, Star, Star, please. Don't say that," said Marco. "It's your big day. You don't have to lift a finger."

"No can do, nacho man," Star grinned, almost like a playful schemer, "you're not the only one here who's been making plans."

"Yeah, I… um, wait what?"

He was completely caught off guard, having all his current thought interrupted. And the same went for everybody else at the party. They all turned their heads, no matter how far away they were, no matter what they were doing. All standing there, petrified – the moment Star got down to one knee, tenderly holding Marco's hand.

The young girl glanced up to him, with her trademark shimmering eyes of starlight, smiling warmly from ear to ear.

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz," Star began, "my beloved boyfriend, my prince – my best friend. You have been with me through thick and thin, since the very beginning. Since the day we were kids… the day we met – the day we became friends. It is a memory that I will forever cherish. From here until the end of time."

With a wave of her hand, Star conjured up a strange wave of cosmic dust. With her skillful and delicate fingers, she weaved these essences together, letting the sand form into solids, thus crafting them into something special – a ring.

"Every day that I am with you," Star continued, "I feel I am blessed. And now with these new cosmic senses, I KNOW I am blessed. Because I have you here in my life, lighting me up with your endless kindness, your never-ending wealth of knowledge, your great sense of humor, and your nachos…"

Several people in the back chuckled as she spoke, others shushed the laughter, replacing them with the sound of admiration for the girl's attempt at the next step. Star held up the ring, a glimmering stone, more precious than any diamond, made from a material that had never existed. And she continued:

"I love you. I love how thoughtful you are, and how noble you are, even as a vessel of something terrible. Your righteousness inspires me in ways you can't imagine, inspires me with your love. I just hope I can be worthy of that love. I WANT to be worthy of that love, your love. So Marco Ubaldo Diaz, my beautifully handsome prince, my boyfriend, my hero, my soul-mate, my best friend – will you marry me?"

Silence.

The people stood by, anxiously holding their breath for the young man's response. It shocked them all, on such a special occasion no less. And under certain points of view, so soon, too. They were so young. Just now one step into adulthood. Were they really prepared for something so grand and significant?

A question answered swiftly by Marco's own tears of joy.

The young man's face turned red, warm and bright. With that radiance, he nodded his head:

"Star Butterfly, I will marry you."

The entire room burst into a massive cheer, with loud confetti and screams of happiness dominating the atmosphere. They cracked open all the bottles of wine, bottles they were saving for the rest of the night, but this special occasion had just gotten more special, so the time to let it pop was ripe.

Everyone cheered, everyone clapped, and they swooned at the sight of the two young lovebirds kissing each other passionately after Star had put the ring on Marco's finger. Their lips locked with one another for what felt like an eternity, and both knew they would not have it any other way.

Everything was perfect.

Star showed Dream this perfection.

Letting the Sandman look on as he stood by in the corner, sand dripping from his cape.

Part 7: The Wedding

"Do you, Star butterfly, take Marco Ubaldo Diaz to be your wedded husband, to cherish in friendship and in love today, tomorrow, yesterday, and for as long as Dream lives, to trust and honor him faithfully, through Evil and War, through Ragnarok and whatever else may come, until the end of time?"

"I do."

"Do you, Marco Ubaldo Diaz, take Star Butterfly to be your wedded wife to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, in darkness and chaos, in the sixth or eleventh dimension, and forsaking all others in the universe, be faithful only to her, unless Fate do you part?

"I do."

"By the powers vested in me under the authority of myself, Dream and my sister, Fate, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

They all clapped, they cheered, they cried and screamed of joy when Star and Marco embraced one another, locking lips together, forming this singularity, a celestial union with great cosmic significance.

This life was perfect.

Star could not be happier in her beautiful white gown, with pure galaxies woven beautifully into the silk. And in her arms her best friend, her soulmate, clad in his dark black suit, a suit of a hero, a god.

But truth of the matter was…

Your perfection was only an illusion.

"You don't know that," said Star.

"I am," Dream replied. "Thus, I know. Behold."

Part 8: The Arcane Revelation

"Hello, wife person," Rafael greeted.

"Hello, husband person," said Angie. "How has your day been?"

"Very fine, beautiful wife person. I have arrived here at the time and date agreed beforehand, for the birth of our newborn infant human daughter."

"Oh yes, it was quite a long process. But I've endured it. Come, husband person. Come take a look at our daughter."

"Of course… oh my, she looks very good. Like a healthy human baby."

"Indeed."

"It is good. I shall now deliver this infant to the nurse, to be shipped off to a caring facility far, far away."

"It is efficient."

"Quite so, wife person."

"This is a joke, right?" Star raised her eyebrow towards Dream. "What is this?"

"A world without Evil. Without the negative axis."

"I don't believe you. You're lying."

"Go ahead," said Dream, handing her in his palm a universe. "Make your own simulation. See how it turns out. See what happens when you take away the other side of the same coin. Reality falls apart. If you destroy Reality, I must follow suit. If you destroy Dream, Reality will crumble. If you kill Evil, Good people cannot look into the mirror to understand or reflect the values of Good, and vice versa."

"No… it can't… be…"

"They're the rules of nature. Everything in the universe has its place. Otherwise, this uncanny impossible world emerges. A world where immoral acts are considered the norm, because people have no frame of reference. A world where all the Good things are trivialized – Love, Kindness, Sympathy, Altruism, Decency, Humanity. You wouldn't want your child to grow up in a world like that, do you? To be shipped away, or worse?"

"But…" Star began contemplating, but still shaking her head, "how does this concern me? I live in Dream Land, separate from this supposed reality where Marco and I have abandoned our posts."

"You think Marco abandoned his post? You think your Dream world is perfect?" He smirked. "Dream begs to differ. Behold."

Part 9: A God's Pride

Beyond the darkness of the minds, the shadows, the chaos, deep in the black void where no good could be born, sat a man – waiting patiently.

He was comfortable on the couch, elbows resting by the side, fingers interlocking with one another. He sat there, letting the darkness consume him, bending to his will. The black to be his slave, and the red of his eyes glowed of the patient anger.

The man was silent. Perhaps too silent, not even a light quiet huff of his breath emerged from his lungs. He had been sitting there for a long time, hours, perhaps even days. But he did not move an inch. Not to scratch an itch or even to get up to eat, drink or go to the bathroom.

It was only when the lights were turned back on by the owner of this home could one finally get a clear look at the visage of the man. Grey, grim, and crumbling like hard stones, or like dying tree barks of a plant being sucked dry of its life forces on a wasteland beyond the comprehension of health. An empty land, with only one Evil king sitting at the top of the throne of flesh and scraps.

Jeremy was shocked to find this strange man in his room. He didn't recognize him at first, because the man wore a dark suit with a sharp red tie and crimson cape hanging from behind his shoulders. His long hair and dry stone-like skin did not help either. And most terrifying of all was the smirk.

"Marco?" Jeremy stood there, still speechless.

But the man still sat there, firm with his grin on his face. Still, unmoving and comfortable as a rock, daring the boy to deduce how he managed to break into his home. But Jeremy could not say. He could not move, petrified by some unknown sense hidden deep inside of him, a sense that Marco somehow knew exactly how to control.

After a few good long minutes, Marco stood up and walked towards the fridge by the corner. He casually pulled out a whole carton of milk, must have been at least four liters or so. He pulled off the cap and proceeded to just chuck the liquid straight down his throat, lips touching the rim and all. He didn't even get out a glass or cup somewhere in the cupboard.

It was about at the halfway point before Marco let out a big satisfying sigh. Followed swiftly by him dropping the carton and the remaining half inside straight onto the ground, while staring right at Jeremy's helpless eyes with devilish delight.

Still not finished.

He pulled out of the fridge a big bar of chocolate. Marco could tell by a glance at Jeremy's whimper that the boy had been saving this whole bar for later. All the more reason for Marco to smile as he removed the thin wrapper and crumbled it into a ball, proceeding to break the chocolate apart into little pieces, not to eat them himself, no. Instead to just chuck it on the ground where the spilled milk was, crumbling right at his mighty feet. He didn't even break the pieces off by the squares and lines, deliberately crushing it off by diagonals, zigzags, and so on.

Marco took another glance around the room, spotting Jeremy's prestigious karate trophy by the distance. Meticulously placed right above the fireplace, carefully set in the center of the counter, in between a family photo and a framed karate belt with a certificate inside. Marco could not help but grin.

The man walked over to where it sat, seemingly to admire this display, almost like a shrine of some sort. He gazed back to the boy who at this point still stood frozen at the door, trembling with unknown and unexplainable fears. Marco smirked from ear to ear, and with a single finger, he slowly reached closer towards the golden trophy almost as if to touch it.

But instead he merely moved the trophy to the left, just a hair off center. Nothing more, nothing less. It seemed insignificant on the surface, but standing from afar one would definitely be annoyed at this slight imperfect placement that could be spotted a mile away.

The imperfection cackled at Jeremy, and the boy was too terrified to respond.

Marco walked back towards the entrance where Jeremy stood, about to exit. But not before rubbing his filthy chocolate covered fingers dripping with milk all over Jeremy's new shirt, once all over the fabric, and once rubbing on the boy's hair, messing it up into a sloppy bush.

The cherry on top was a loud vulgar uncovered cough being blasted right onto the boy's face, letting the spit fly free all over his cheeks, his eyes.

Jeremy was in absolute shock. He could not for the life of him explain how. But all he could manage even when Marco left was a whimper as the boy collapsed on his knees:

"Why?"

Marco looked back, with the biggest most devilish smile he could muster:

"Because I can."

Part 10: The Dark Side of Freedom

"This… isn't the Marco I know," said Star.

Dream shook his head:

"But it is."

"No… no… we… I can get rid of this. Get rid of this negativity in my Dream world."

"How?" Dream asked. "This is the God of Evil. He is Evil, and Evil is him. You get rid of Evil, you get rid of him."

"Listen to him, Star," a familiar voice echoed. "Lord Dream is infinite and eternal. He knows his stuff."

Star turned her head to glance back at the endless space beyond her. And there she saw him – a blue genie looking old man with a crystal on his forehead.

"Glossaryck?"

"At your service, milady," Glossaryck bowed his head.

"What are you doing here? Where did you…"

"It's been quite a while hasn't it?" The old man laughed. "I have a new job now. God of Freedom as Fate calls it. Some of the perks are nice, but the work hours, hoo, pretty rough I tell you."

"Come work for me instead, Glossy," Dream smiled. "I have cookies."

"Tempting offer, but your sister has pudding. So no dice."

"Aw."

"But listen, Star," Glossaryck clapped his hands together, shooting her a serious gaze. "This – all of it, the responsibility, the powers, the new pantheon. They're part of the job. It's not an adventure, it's not thrilling. It's merely work. And you just have to do it."

"Easy for you to say," said Star. "You're Free. Free to do whatever you want."

"There are darker sides to Freedom, Star. Unpleasant sides. It's not always on the positive axis."

"Why does that matter?" She asked. "We are gods. We have power. We are Free to do what we want."

"It doesn't mean you should," said Dream.

"You want the Freedom to choose?" Glossaryck raised his eyebrow, "Then go ask Marco what he chose."

"What?"

"Marco chose Evil!"

Space shattered. Time lost. Dimensions scrambled.

All under the screams of confusion.

Part 11: Eternal Holy War

"Sire," Voiceful Ruby said as he knelt, "I've brought you livestock and sacrifices just as you commanded. All from the households spread throughout Echo Creek. The Flesh is ripe, milord."

"Excellent," Marco's heavy voice boomed. "Fall in, child. I shall use the Wrathmelior vessel to make them Suffer."

"As it is, milord."

Rising from the mountains of scrap metal and burning flesh, the god stood high from his throne. He was tall, bigger than the puny ants beneath him. And he cast a shadow so large it dwarfed all of New Earth. When he spoke, the plates of the earth itself trembled under the might and will of his voice, a terrible voice. So incredibly heavy, you would not be able to lift it.

"PEOPLE OF NEW EARTH," Marco began echoing across space and time, raising his hand to the endless cosmos. "The time has come – for you to bow down before your god and master. I am the virus, the black void at the center of all things, the force to subdue all other forces of the universe. For I am. I am constant, never-ending, everlasting. Today, will mark the day of the new Meta cycle, a new beginning for a new pantheon, where I, the GOD OF EVIL, shall take his place as god supreme above everything! I am infinite! I am eternity! I – AM – ALL!"

Hosanna!

But fires from the sky decreed otherwise. Raining down powerful bolts of pure energy.

"Argh! What fire is this?" Marco grunted, infuriated at the interruption of his glory.

God fire, Dream announced.

A flame birthed from a special cosmic force named the Red. A force serving the one and only God of Deliverance Hekapoo. A god fire that could never be extinguished.

This was the ammunition of the New Mewman, the energy powering their pantheon. And at the core was their leader, their war general – Star Butterfly.

"MARCO, ENOUGH!"

The God-Mother descended from the endless skies of New Mewni unto the cursed soils of New Earth, with tears and anger in her eyes. She was clad in heavy armor, blue capes flowing in the wind, alongside her golden gloves powered by fifth dimensional plasma powerful enough to create a big bang the size of infinite universes. On her left hand clenched a fist of righteous fury, fueled by pure energy and willpower, on her right hand a spear with the legendary blade of Ouroboros on top, a blade longer than any snake, one that could cut deeper than any fang. The Spear of War.

Marco could feel the powers flowing from within the God-Mother. Thus, he grimaced towards the heavens, cursing the names of Good.

"You dare?" He shouted, "You dare?"

"I do, cruel one," the God-Mother answered.

"Fool!" Marco cried. "You pretend to be Good, dear wife. But you are just as ruthless, if not more than I am, dear wicked God of War."

"Not War," Star shot him a powerful glare. "Republic."

Marco sneered:

"A false name for a false god."

"'Tis true that my hands are soaked with innocent blood throughout the cosmos. But I now take my responsibility, my place in the universe, and stand here against you. I can no longer allow Evil to run rampant out there in Reality, tipping the balance scale, while I and your avatar live happily here in Dream. We – are – Meta Gods. We can do many things, rebuild those we have lost, create things anew in the new era. I don't want to lose you to Evil, Marco. But I don't want to live this false life in the Dream world, either. Fight it, fight the darkness, let someone else take the mantle, and we can be together again."

"Save your speeches. Begone with your beseeches. You should've stayed by my side. With me, with the Forces of Evil. Does this ring on my finger mean nothing to you anymore?"

"I… of course it does. I love you, Marco. But we must follow our Fate. We must."

Marco stood there, staring at his beloved wife. His red eyes raging with disappointment.

"You… you've changed," he sighed. "You must hate me now. That must be it. Our love was once true, freed from the Blood Moon Curse. And now you dare talk to me of Fate?"

"Marco… my love for you is still true. We belong together."

"Then are you saying the battle between Good and Evil is inevitable?" He snapped. "Is it destined to happen?"

"I – am – NOT – Good," Star pleaded with him. "I am Republic. I am… not… perfect."

"Then join me, Star. We can be together here in Dream. Let Reality fall. We… we belong with each other. I… I love you, Star."

And yet, a gloomy cloud still surrounded Star's eyes. Burdening them with sadness and pain.

"I'm sorry."

The God-Mother raised her spear up high with great melancholy, prepared to slice down, tearing a fabric in their Dream world and releasing everything back to where they belonged. The plasma in her gloves lit up, and lightning began to spark from her body. The ground itself began to shake.

"STOP!" Marco shouted, coughing violently. "You destroy our Dreams, and you'll throw away our love! Don't do it! We were going to have a daughter, I've seen it. You were going to name her Angela, like my mother. She would grow up normal, humble, and on Earth, away from the grief of magic, away from the GODS. Don't you want that?"

Star reluctantly glanced up to look at Marco in his Evil eyes. Now with tears wetting her cheeks. She forced out a hiccup, and in her sobbing, she managed a soft whimper:

"I have long wished for a way for us to somehow cleave together our two worlds, Mewni and Earth. Once upon a time, once upon a dream – just so this God World wouldn't have come to be. Goodbye, Marco."

Marco grunted with hellish fury:

"NO! If I can't have you here in Dream, then I'll bring everybody from Reality here instead. I'll bring about an apocalypse, a Ragnarok, where everybody in Reality will die an infinite number of deaths! I will pull New Earth and New Mewni towards each other with my bare hands, smashing them together!"

"I don't think so, Evil one," Hekapoo spoke from the heaven, spitting a spark of god fire at Marco's feet, as a warning shot. "I cannot allow you to tip the balance scale any longer."

"Worm! You dare speak to me of permission, Prometheus?" Marco said, stepping right on top the fire that would not cease burning.

"I speak not as the Old God, but instead the God of Deliverance, a Meta God of the new world."

"I do not take orders from ineffective deities. Old or New."

"Maybe not," another familiar voice echoed. From afar, Marco could see a messenger with winged boots. She was fast, but Marco could see her, and he recognized her.

Mariposa descended and landed before them. Dusting herself off, and echoing her Words:

"Brother…"

"Sister…"

"Listen to me, Marco… you know this is folly. You know you and Star are the most powerful beings in our multiverse. Which can only mean one thing."

"And pray tell, sister, what is that one thing?" Evil raised his eyebrow.

"Mutually assured destruction," Mariposa replied. "Assuming you both go all out."

Marco clenched his bony hands into a pair of raging fists. He glared at the New Mewman pantheon, unblinking.

"So it is," he grumbled. "Then the only thing left to be birthed from this stalemate…"

"… is a treaty," said Star, as she lowered her Spear of War, letting the tip touch gently on the metal surface they stood on with the plasma blade still steaming hot as it cooled.

"Done – and can never be undone."

There on this massive decaying God World, two gods stood on top a throne of scrap and flesh. One descended from the paradise above, the other rose from the depths of inferno below.

Let it be known on this day – the universe almost met its demise, and I, Lord Dream was almost powerless to stop it.