When Earth Wants Out

Star Butterfly sat on the float, bored, honestly disappointed in her parents. It may have been a couple of years, but they conquered this peaceful dimension, one thug was all it took though. That one thug tried to rob her, but her parents saw it as reason to take over. She hated the anniversary every year. Suddenly there was a loud clanking, and she saw something roll across the floor of the float. Then there was deafening noise, and she blacked out.

She woke up, unaware of how time had passed, but she knew one thing, she had been kidnapped. She felt the zip-ties keeping her to the chair, she also noticed the cloth stuffed in her mouth.

"So you're finally awake I see." The mysterious voice slowly walked out of the shadows, revealing a young man in a red hoodie, hood up, walking towards her. "I could monologue and tell you everything I'm going to do to you, but I'll just give you the straight and narrow. You won't be heard, but I'm holding you ransom." The young man walked behind her and removed the gag.

"Why would you kidnap me? I'm just a stand-" Star attempted to lie her way out of this situation, but it didn't do any good.

"Please, I've been doing this for years, if there's one thing I know, it's that the stand-ins always get the cheeks wrong." The boy leaned on the table in front of Star, and looked carefully at her, the lone light in the room made his hood shadow his face even more than normal. "I know you're the real princess Butterfly, so I'm making sure I get what I want from your family."

"And what could my family possibly have that you want?"

"Earth. My home. Which you Mewmans took over for no reason. I only want my old life, although it probably won't happen." The boy sighed heavily, then continued. "If it wasn't for your family, my world wouldn't have fallen apart. I wouldn't have lost everything. So, I'm going to make sure no one has to do what I did."

"And what did you do? Kidnap one princess?" She felt as if she could raise his temper, he might do something he'd regret.

"No, became a freedom fighter. I've been destroying your government buildings you built, your statues, all of your paintings. I've been tagging the streets with symbols of rebellion. I'm letting the people of Earth know that there is some form of hope. I want to set the people free from your tyranny. With the exchange, once I get Earth's freedom back, I'm going to make sure our armies are prepared."

"And what if that exchange is trapped, what then? What if you die?"

"I've got a back up plan. It's actually going to be televised. It'll be a martyr's death. I only want to be free from the sorrow, and the pain." He turned his head, but Star could've sworn she saw a tear fall from his eyes. But she saw that he only wanted peace, and that was her chance, her one link with him, this may get Mewni away from Earth, and she may have a more fun life.

"What if I told you I wanted to help? Please hear me out."

"Oh please, the Royal Princess is being held hostage and she says she wants to help force her home dimension from the dimension that was conquered. There's no way, that you'd give up a life of luxury for that."

"I will. I never wanted Mewni to take over. I just happened to be the victim of a mugging. There was no stopping my family from the take over." Star looked down, obviously ashamed. Then she noticed the boy reach down and touch her neck.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's how a Mewman, and human, works. If there's one thing that always tells the truth it's the pulse. If your pulse stays the same the entire time you tell me that you want to join me, I just may believe you."

Star stared at the boy, looking deep into the shadow that covered his face, then with a deep breath, steadied herself, putting all the truth, and feeling she could into her voice. "I want to free Earth from the tyranny of us Mewmans, I don't want to have Earth be a conquered dimension for no reason. I want you to not have to worry about your freedom. And I want to prevent any deaths I can." She stared at him, waiting, pleading with her eyes to believe her, because she knew it was the truth. She knew he would agree. Then he sighed.

"I don't know why I'm trusting you. You're Mewman royalty. But you aren't lying." The boy then took his hood off, revealing how young he really was. "I'm the vigilante that's been trying to chase off you Mewmans ever since you took over Earth."

"You're, you're only a teenager! I figured someone like you would be some, grizzled rugged thirty-something." She then watched as he reached towards his belt, and pulled out a large survival knife.

"No thirty-something is capable of running rooftop to rooftop, nonstop, for at least two hours. Now I bet you're wondering about your wand."

"My wand?" Star paused for a moment, then shot up, realizing what he said. "Where did I put my wand?!"

"Relax Princess. I've got it locked up. Just hold on, I've got to get some ground rules set. First, I'm not trusting you completely, so there are limits, I'm always going to know where you are, and if you're off mission."

"And hows that going to work?" She watched as the boy pulled a large needle-gun from a cabinet behind him.

"Tracking chip. I may have said I trust you, but I also said not completely. This is only fair, especially with your wand."

Star looked at the needle that he held. It was a small chip, but it would still be there. He had a point. He was giving the daughter of his dimension's conquerors freedom. He was justified in wanting this. "Make it quick, where are you putting it?"

"The back of your neck, nowhere noticeable. You'll even forget it's there." She turned and felt the light prick of the needle, and the cold of the chip as it entered her body. "It's only just beneath the skin. It'll come out when I take it out. That or if I manage to get my med-bot to actually work."

"Med-bot? What's that? Some sort of first aid robot or something?"

"Actually, it's an old project of my friend's. It was going to perform any and all surgeries based on the database we have uploaded. But then they couldn't finish it." The boy turned and started walking out the door, with Star following behind him.

"What, uh... What's your name?"

The boy turned and looked at her. "Marco. The name's Marco." He turned and opened the door behind him, revealing a moderately sized living room, with large windows, revealing that they were actually in what looked like an apartment building.

"Wait, we weren't underground?"

"Actually, we were in the janitor's closet. Makes for a great interrogation room. But for now, I'm going to get your big unveiling ready."

"Big unveiling? I'm just working alongside you. That should be all." Star was confused on this part. Marco wanted to make a scene out of her working with him, why?

"Listen Princess. There's few things that fuel a government, no matter what kind. One of those things is people. So if we reveal some anonymous Mewman is against the settlement of Earth, it'll encourage others who are against it to rise up, and push you out. But I know your parents are stubborn, so it'll be a while before they leave." Marco then sat at a workbench in the corner of the room. He then paused, and looked at Star once more. "You are aware that by helping me, you become a terrorist. And that means you're never welcomed back home, right?"

Star paused, and milled over what he just said. She honestly hadn't considered being banished from Mewni. But now it was a very real possibility. "I uh... Now I am. You know what, Mewni was never any fun. I'll will have to live with the consequences, I guess." She looked at Marco, and noticed he had a silent smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just seeing some humanity in this otherworldly princess. Now are you absolutely sure about this?" Star saw his face immediately turn solemn. "I am wanting your absolute certainty about this. This is your entire life that's going to fall apart." Star just stared at him. Unsure as to why he didn't get it.

"Yes. I am absolutely positive. Mewni overstepped its bounds with the invasion of Earth. So I'm going to be the one who rights it." She stood stoically before Marco. "Now how are we going to introduce me to Earth?"

"Well, I'd say we start with a faux trade. You and I are going to the trade tomorrow, you're going to be unbound, and when you step forward, you're going to toss a sonic pulse bomb. Just make sure you wear the earplugs I give you. I'm also going to make you a mask. Use it. They haven't seen my face, but they'll know yours, your face will have power." Star noticed the one light of hope he had in his eyes. She didn't want to see it disappear, but there was one question that needed to be answered.

"What if it's not enough Marco?" There it went.

"Well, I'm going to accept my fate. I know I won't make it out of this, alive at least. If I do live, I'm making sure that they don't have the pleasure of torturing me." Marco rolled his chair over to the other side of the bench, grabbed a measuring tape, and rolled back. "Let me see your face. The mask needs to be an exact fit. Don't want it slipping off, or not covering your face." Star ten complied and leaned down, and felt as his hands carefully maneuvered around her head and face, she couldn't help but notice how his hands felt. "I'm going to work on this. It's going to take a couple days, should be done in time for the exchange." Marco then turned around, measurements written down, and began working.

"I'm going to, walk around the apartment." Star then turned, and walked around.

"Stay away from the windows! I don't trust anyone, and unless you're planning to cover your cheeks, don't be seen." Marco's voice was laced with much more than just fear of getting caught. Almost, concern?

"Right. Will do."