this chapter is really short but i felt like here was a better place to end it then i where i was planning on ending it and also this chapter title doesn't come from the same song as all the others, but from Jimmy He Whispers, by the Manchester Ochestra.

Star opened her eyes, feeling liquid soak through her fur. She floundered, almost submerged as her paws struggle to keep her afloat. The liquid burned when it splashed into her mouth, but when she went to cough it out, more got in. Trapped in the turbulent waves, Star paddled furiously.

The sky was dark, swirls of pale clouds lurking. The liquid was a sickly green. It clung to her, making her nauseous. As she raised her head, a golden island catches her eye. Star swam towards it with frantic strokes.

When her paws scrabble against its smooth surface, Star was ready to collapse. The liquid grabbed at her, tugging her back even as she fought to climb. When she had all four paws on land, she collapsed, panting.

"Star."

Star leapt to her feet, exhaustion forgotten and tail wagging. "Marco? Marco I'm here."

When nothing answered her, Star explored the island, which was completely golden. It too clung to her, but it had a gentleness, a feeling of belonging. It warmed her, returning the strength to her limbs. With a quivering voice, she whimpered, "Marco?"

"I'm here, Star. I'm here."

Star turned, racing to the edge of the island. She peered into the murky waters around her, searching for any sort of sign. Golden flecks gather at the base of the island, glimmering. Star growled at them, their light taunting her.

"Star."

Marco's voice came from below her, and Star nearly leapt back into the liquid. She stopped when she saw a familiar pair of eyes meet her own. She leaned down, touching her nose to the edge of the liquid.

"Marco, I'm coming for you. I'll save you."

"I miss you. I miss you so much. It's so cold here," Marco's voice, quivering at the edges, responded.

"How can I help you?" Star asked gently.

Marco's eyes wavered, something dark flashing through them that wasn't because of the liquid. When he spoke, his voice was warped, with an undertone of shadows. "You could come down here with me. It's not so bad. I'm lonely."

Star considered it. Her paw crept forwards until it was on the edge of the island. She wanted to trust in Marco, to ease his pain. Something in this smelled foul though, and she couldn't make herself take that leap. The attitude was wrong, and the eyes she stared into were the eyes of a stranger.

"Star," Marco snarled, the liquid bubbling. "Come on. You'll be safe here."

Star took a step back, shaking her head. "I can't Marco. I'm sorry but I can't. I want to help you, but there's something wrong."

"There's nothing-" Marco started, only to pause, choking on his own words. When he continued, it with careful purpose, layered with concern and sadness. "Star. You need to leave. Don't look for me. You can't look for me, there's something wrong. I'll end up hurting you if you come. Please, Star, stay away. I don't want you to be hurt anymore."

"Mar-"

"I love you." Marco's eyes fade, leaving Star completely alone.

Star's eyes snapped open, and she growled as she shot up, glaring at the world around her. She was alone in the same room she had been in the night before. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest. She scrubbed at her eyes, wiping away the traces of tears as she tried to steady herself. She curled inwards, shifting so that she could wrap her arms around her knees. She shivered, remembering the unnatural snarl that came from Marco.

Star screwed her eyes tight, the word 'corruption' ringing around in her head. It was the only thing she could think of though, with the darkness and Marco's strange attitude. She didn't want to think that Marco could be...corrupted.

Star looked up, squaring her shoulders. The dream didn't mean that Marco was corrupted all the way. There's a chance to save him, and Star would not let it slip away.

I love you.

Star stood up. She just needed to find her parents and the High Commission, then they could find Marco and save him.

"I love you too, Marco."

Moon yawned, the barest trickle of sunlight creeping in through the meeting chambers. River and the High Commission look about as tired as she felt, but Star was bristling with energy, almost ready to burst at the seams.

"We could have waited until the sun rose," Heckapoo mutters, arms crossed. Lehkmet nodded in agreement.

"I mean, why not start now?" Rhombulus said, even as his hands hissed in their discontentment.

"We need to find Marco," Star added, eyes dark.

"What difference could an hour make?" Heckapoo asked, and Moon can sense the imminent outburst from Star.

"It could mean everything." Omnitraxus Prime informed them, eyes glowing in his ball. "I've been scanning throughout possibilities. We need to leave soon, the outcome of this battle depends on it."

"Alright." Moon stepped forward, drawing the attention to her. "Prepare for battle, but do not alert the castle to what is going on. We are going out for a training exercise, nothing else. We meet at the entrance in twenty minutes. Understood?"

Moon stared down the High Commission, silently daring them to go against her. Heckapoo nods first, the pettiness in her face replaced with a solemn determination. The rest of the High Commission followed slowly with their own form of agreement. Heckapoo and Omnitraxus Prime returned to their respective dimensions while Lehkmet and Rhombulus slipped through the door.

With the High Commision taken care of, Moon swallowed, turning to River. "The-"

"I'm going with you," River cut in before Moon could finish, soft yet firm. Moon supposed he would know her thought process by now. "I can't stay here anymore. Besides, you all need the Johansen battle spirit on your side." River grinned, but Moon could see the sense of betrayal that shone through it. Their arguments over the past days were still fresh in her mind, but she wasn't ready to tackle those issues here and now, so she simply hums in agreement.

Moon then turned to Star, who paced by the door. Moon walked up beside her, suggesting, "Why don't you come with me to get armor?"

"Armor?" Star questioned.

Moon couldn't stop the image that trickled into her thoughts, of Star as a toddler, jumping around and begging to try on every piece of armor she could find. Moon had to steel herself against the wave of regret and loss that surged with the memory. She couldn't focus on her failures now, not when there was a battle on the horizon.

"It's something that mewmans use to protect themselves. It's made out of metal so that attacks don't injure us as much," Moon explained, keeping her tone measured.

Star tilted her head. "I don't need armor."

"Everyone needs armor," River smiled, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It makes you look intimidating, powerful. You're enemies won't be able to touch you."

"They won't be able to once I shift." Star pointed out, and Moon sighed.

"That may be true, but…" Moon paused, feeling unsteady. It was a rare feeling these days, but she despised it all the same. "Would you come with me anyways?"

If Moon despised uncertainty more than most emotions, she loathes the shock on River's face more than anything. Was she really so cold?

Star was looking at her with a look Moon couldn't decipher, and Moon was a hair's breadth away from taking it back when Star spoke up.

"Okay."

Moon gave a smile, ushering Star to the door. "I am sure that you'll enjoy this," Moon stated, and kept her smile as Star's eyes flashed with interest. As Moon passed River, their eyes met. River tilted his head downwards, and Moon deftly turned her eyes back to Star's form, unwilling to glimpse at whatever emotion River was trying to convey.

It didn't take long for them to reach the armory. Moon tried her hardest to match the relentless pace that Star set. Her daughter constantly went ahead, only to wait for Moon to catch up. The energy crackling around Star set Moon on edge too, if only because the air around them remained charged.

Star's eyes went wide when Moon opened the door to reveal countless swords, shields, and armor sets resting on the walls. Something in Moon's chest warmed at the sight, and she is yet again reacquainted with nostalgia.

The armory was a long hallway, and Moon took the liberty to speak as they walked down. "This is where every piece of armor in the castle is stored. All of them are certified monster proof but still light as can be."

"Monster proof?" Star's face scrunched in distaste.

"We have to be prepared for monsters. They're nasty brutes," Moon clenched her fists, Toffee's smirk coming to mind.

Star hummed. "So, like me and Marco."

"No- Of course you aren't a monster dear." Moon turned to face Star, only finding Star's beastial form staring at her. Star tilts her wolfish head, as if saying, 'See?'

"That doesn't make you one of them," Moon argued weakly, seeing the holes in her defense before Star shifts back.

"What is the difference between us and them?"

"It's- It's-" Moon sighed, walking forwards again.

"What?" Star's tone was accusatory, searching for answers Moon didn't have- or rather, didn't want to think about.

"It's complicated." Moon decided. She could sense Star's dissatisfaction with the answer, but her daughter didn't ask so Moon didn't say anything else.

They reach the end of the hallway, where the intricately carved doors rested. Moon moved her hands in swift motions to her sides, and watched the doors glow bright blue before sliding open.

"I can't believe you can use Magic without a stone," Star mumbled, awestruck.

"It takes years of training," Moon told her with a smile. Once the doors were open fully, Moon stepped forward to grab her armor and slide it on with practiced ease. She undid her hair, sighing with relief as the monstrous bun came falling down. She felt so much freer with her hair in a simple ponytail and her swords at her side.

However, Star stared at her with a lost expression, eyebrows drawn together.

"What's wrong?" Moon prompted, and Star shook herself, as if snapping out of a daydream.

"Nothing," Star said hastily. When Moon raised her eyebrows, Star continued. "I was just...remembering. Do you remember when we met? The first time, in the forest."

"Of course I do." How could Moon ever forget it?

"You looked like this back then." Star shrugged. "It just reminded me."

The silence grew heavy, and Moon searched for something to say. River was always so much better with words than she was. Moon simply couldn't navigate the endless maze that was emotion.

"We should go back," Moon said dumbly. Star nodded in silent agreement, and Moon berated herself as they began to walk back. Star's form, right ahead of her, seemed so distant. Star and River had looked so at peace yesterday, relaxed, comfortable.

"Star," Moon called. "Do you know any spells?"

Star paused to shake her head. Moon didn't stop to wonder how she should tackle the issue of escorts and dark magic and past mistakes, finding the nearest wall and sitting against it, patting the ground beside her. "I think we need to talk about a few things. Just for a few minutes."

Star was hesitant, but something in Moon's expression must have convinced her to go along with it, because she sits down, waiting for Moon to continue.

So Moon did.

Star's heart was pounding in her chest, her blood rushing through her veins. She could only focus on the ground ahead of her, her vision black around the edges. Her mind moved like honey. Her thoughts trickled through her mind, trying to process the information just dumped on her.

Escorts. They were a thing. A being chosen by wand bearers to be their companion, protector, and failsafe. She had chosen Marco as an escort at some point- that fact didn't shock her as much. There was no one else that Star was close to like Marco. But Star couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she couldn't physically hurt Marco. Maybe because the thought of purposely hurting Marco never crossed her mind, or that having her actions controlled by some other force terrified her.

Even beyond that, her mother's mention of dark magic, spoken with hushed words and a guilty inflection, sent a chill down Star's spine. Breaking the escort bond, breaking some of what she and Marco shared?

Star gritted her teeth, keeping her head low even as other voices surround her. Her father came close, and Star wanted to lean into the support he was clearly offering, but her mother's warning to keep quiet about everything- the escorts, the magic the possible sacrifice- made her stay away.

"Okay, once we are in the area we need to move slow. Marco may already be compromised," Her mother spoke, the voice a distant murmur to Star's ears, in her commanding tone, as if she hadn't told Star the unthinkable. "Prepare for the worse, don't let your guard down, and don't wait to make conversation. We go in, we get Marco and take down Toffee, then we go out."

"Got it." Heckapoo waved a hand.

"Already searching for them." Omnitraxus Prime muttered, his head floating serenely.

"We're gonna destroy them," Rhombulus declared, and for once his hands nodded in agreement. Lekhmet bleated, and Rhombulus added on, "And we're gonna all make it back."

Her father gave a battle cry, shaking his shield and axe with vigor.

Star looked at her trembling hands, forcing them to become paws. She took a deep breath, her fur raised up high to reflect her fear, and her anger. The lizard must have known about this, about escorts. He was using that to hurt her, and it was working. She could still hear the unnatural tone of Marco's growl, feel the green liquid clinging to her.

Even more so, she could see the softness in Marco's eyes when he told her he loved her, as if it would be the last time he ever said it.

Determination surged through her. Forget escorts, forget dark magic, she would get Marco back before anything happened. There was still time- there had to be time.

Star looked up, seeing her mother staring ahead, eyes hardened like stone. Her mother's mouth was drawn in a harsh line as she muttered, "This ends today."