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Solaria’s mind was empty, but painfully erupting with thoughts at the same time.
...
My Darkest Star,
I beg you, PLEASE be more carefull while walking around Forest of Certain Death! Our patrols have doubled since that Solarian scum tried to murder some civilians and I can’t have you in chains or dead... Also, try not to think too much about that stupid Shastacan, okey? We will think of something, I will just devour him if necessary. {That was a joke, Boo, or maybe not???} With that being said, see you tonight under the Rose Tower! I’ll try to bring something sweet for you, love you,
G.
...
The Monster Carver blankly stared down at a single piece of paper in her hand.
A paper that was in fact a small letter found by her in her precious daughter’s room.
A letter which content made her blood run cold.
Slowly she brought an object of her besbelief closer to her eyes, to make sure she wasn’t halucinating or that wasn’t just some sick joke made by her brother.
The letters written on jagged paper weren’t part of ordinary Mewman alphabet or some other popular dialect, no... This... That was an ancient and secret code known only by Mewni’s queens and their daughters!
When she saw a note on Eclipsa’s bed at first she thought that her sweet sweet girl was exchanging ‘secret’ messages with Solaria’s older brother, but the handwriting didn’t match with Eclipsa’s or Jushtin’s, so who the hell wrote it?!
The meaning of this note was booming inside her head, making it ake and pulse.
The Forest of Certain Death?! Was her child really this recless to go there? Didn’t she know of all that monstrous beasts who lived in there?
The letter’s author, ‘G'... Who were they? How did they knew Eclipsa and how did that note get in her room? Why would Eclipsa teach someone outside her family how to write and read in Low-Mewman? Was that person her... lover? It sounded like that in the note. But she said she didn’t have anyone when her mother talked to her about possible marriage with SpiderBites!
Queen held her breath and started rereading misterious note, trying to find any leads about anonimus writer’s identity.
Forest of Certain Death, Solarian incident, Rose Tower...
The first one was part of monster territory, that horde was being a real pain in the ass to fight. What intrest would Eclipsa had there?
Rose Tower was pretty plain to get, they’ve been meeting under her child’s bedroom in secret. But why? Eclipsa knew she could tell her about a romance, right? She would understand!
‘Solarian incident’... What was that about? Mewmans surely got annoyed sometimes by her fearless worriors as well as other citizans living in Mewni, but never spoken this badly about them. They were the ones who protected them from those monsters! It would be unusual and simply stupid to mess with them. No, it has to be something different...
The only thing that happened recently and could be called an ‘incident’ was when some idiot got extremely drunk, went alone to the Dark Kingdom and tried to burn a random monster village. Of course, Solaria was glad that her soldiers were always ready to conquer for her and her Queendom, but only a dozen of those bastards died that day and she lost a valuable worrior.
If her daughter’s lover talked in that way about Solarians, there was no possibility for them to be on the same side of war. And if they weren’t on Butterfly Queendom’s side, then that ment...
N.. No.. No, surely not..!
Monster Carver’s eyes grown huge as she read the letter again and again and again, but in different point of view.
It couldn’t be-
But... But it made sense...
Now she saw it, the most obvious truth which hurted her like a knife in the heart.
The paper note slipped out of her fingers and fell softly on the crystal clear flooring.
Her daughter, her inteligent and kind daughter, her Eclipsa was somehow associated with one of those cruel monsters...
Butterfly Queen covered her mouth with her hand in order to prevent herself from letting out a furious yell. No matter how much she wanted to distroy the whole room in rage or lead a siege on these roting scums, she knew she had to ramain calm. She will slaughter her enemies later, Eclipsa was and will always be her biggest priority.
Eclipsa...
SHE NEEDS TO TALK TO HER! She must have been too scared to tell Solaria about it! These creature straight from horrors blackmailed her into a preditorish relationship and her poor little sunshine couldn’t defend herself!
Fucking beast! Oh, she is going to rip it apart and no one can stop her. NOBODY hurts her daughter.
Quickly, Solaria shoved the letter into her pocket. She won’t be stressing Eclipsa with the note, not now atleast. She seemed so happy today, playing with her uncle as they worked together to harass Mina.
She will wait and confront her later and then together they’ll drown that motherfucker in the nearest river they find...
...
Everything was going smoothly, after torturing Queen’s top general with creepy, talking mannequins and smelly stickers, Eclipsa sad down with her mother, uncle and his wife, Recluza.
Solaria had to hold herself with all her power to just not start spitting out about everything. She didn’t want to embarrass her daughter Infront of the rest of her family. She will handle it herself.
Instead, she looked in wonder at teen Eclipsa.
Who could have guessed that she'd ever give birth to someone so brilliant? Her sweet sunshine had a sharp mind, good heart and incredible personality, she was so original in every possible way. Solaria was prouder of her than of anything else. Mewni will be in good hands one day...
Knowing how truely amazing Eclipsa was, Monster Carver couldn’t keep her head around a fact that she let a monster take control over her like that! Why didn’t she just blasted it with her magic?!
Without realising it, she flexed in her fist a gorlden fork. Jushtin looked at her with raised eyebrow.
Take it easy... - Queen remainded herself - Don’t mess it up, she must be in so much pain right now...
After about an hour Eclipsa excused herself, wished everyone good night and went back to her bedroom. Good thing that Solaria kept the note, otherwise poor Eclipsa would go straight into beast's mouth...
“Wait” Solaria’s booming, but a little bit panicked voice silenced the whole room. Both her family and the servants looked at her in suprise. It was rare for their Queen to sound like that, however no matter what they will obey and wait for her next words. Half of respect,half of fear. “I’ll go with you. There is a matter that we must discuss tonight. Now, come along, Dear.”
Normally, she would stay till midnight with Justhin and Recluza, drink few bottles of wine and pick up a playfull fight with her brother, but not today. Mayby after she burnes the heinous Monster corpse with Eclipsa, then they will have a good reason to celebrate.
The young Princess stoped smiling and just nodded. Not gonna lie, that hurted Solaria’s feelings quite a bit.
With years gone by, she and her child begone to move away from each other. Solaria had her hands busy with taking care of monsters who foolishly dared to rebel against her reign and Eclipsa started to be more critical of her mother’s ideas and the whole war...
Walking together thru the castle halls, Solaria tried to think how should she begin with the subject. Should she just blurt it out? Or mayby gently nudge her Sunshine to tell her herself? As a mother she had to ask herself, what would be best for Eclipsa?
“Is everything alright?” The Princess snapped her from her thoughts. She didn’t even glance at Solaria, just walked straight ahead to her tower. Her wings moved slowly, as if she was annoyed.
“Yes, Sunshine.” She said warmly, looking forward the day of her daughter’s coronation. She could already imagine Eclipsa in beautifull dress, new crown and glowing wand in her hand. „Let’s just get to your room, right now we need privacy to relax and have a nice, honest conversation.”
Solaria hoped that she was doing a decent job with calming down her child...
“Do we really need to do that in my chamber? Can’t you just say what you’ve got to say and let me sleep? It’s bad already that you keep on insisting on all that stupid queen-training, which starts at five in the morning...”
Mean... Solaria thought. But that’s probably from all that stress, it will get better, they will get better.
„This is extremely important, Eclipsa! I won’t leave till we talk this out.”
“Right...”
Two Butterflies entered into the Princess’s chamber, Solaria locked the doors behind them, in the mean time Eclipsa stoped in the middle of the room and gave her mother a glare. The Queen took a deep breath, while walking up to her and guiding her swiftly to sit on her bed. It was pretty akward...
“I... know that you didn’t tell me about something, Eclipsa....” Solaria said quietly and took out a letter written in Low-Mewman, unfolding it for the Princess to see.
Her daughter’s eyes became round from the shock mixed with pure fear.
“Sunshine-”
Suddenly Eclipsa’s hand shot out, riped the paper from Solaria’s grip and helded it close to her chest..
“Where did you get that from? Where did you find it?” She was trembling, but her voice was almost as cold as ice.
Flames in the chimney burned slightly stronger.
„In the egg. I went into your room, saw the weird looking egg on your bed, dropped it by accident and inside was this note. Listen, it doesn’t matter where did I found it! The important thing is that I did and now I can help you! I know that this thing was harrasing you, but no more! I won’t let it hurt you ever again.”
Solaria spoked visible determination. Eclipsa must be sure that her mother was there for her and will always have her back.
But instead of relief Eclipsa’s expression showed irritation or anger or both. She read the note in seconds. Now it was rage and the flames turned red.
„You have read it, didn’t you? Does THIS look like threats to you?! Sweet nicknames and worry about my safety are a attempt to kill me or something?!”
„Honey, that’s a monster! They don’t feel anything beside bloodlust and hatred.”
Solaria couldn’t believe her ears. What was Eclipsa thinking?! Did that monster enchanted her somehow? She really should have spent more time with her daughter.
“Then I guess you must have a lot in common with eachother...” Princess growled with mouth full of venom.
“How can you compare me to those parasites? How dare you?!”
“How ‘dare’ I?! Mewni belongs to Monsters! Mewmans took it and started carnage, Mewmans like you! You are always away, murdering innocent people for your fucked up beliefs!”
Is that really how Eclipsa saw her? The war? What happened to that little warrior with a toy sword, who would get so excited every time Solaria came from a battle and wanted to hear all the gore stories?
“ ‘Innocent’?! Their talons are covered in blood of our people, Eclipsa! I don’t understand how can you let them brainwash you like that! You’re too smart for this!”
Future Queen shaked in fury, her fists paled from clinching them so hard.
“If you really think so high of me, how come the need for me to be some helpless idiot, who can’t tell a difference between a lie and a thruth? Why do you believe that I would let someone blackmail me instead of disposing of them with my wand?”
“I... Well-”
„Let me tell you why, mother...” Eclipsa’s eyes started to fill with tears. “Because you hate monsters more, then you care about your own child...”
Queen’s mouth opened immediately to deny the hurtfull statement, but the Princess kept going.
“You LOVE war far more, than you ever LOVED ME! I always knew that! B-But when you decided to sell me to that fucker, just so you could continue on killing, I realised that MY happines NEVER really mattered to you! You-u would do a-anything to win the war!”
The Monster Carver stared in horror, as Eclipsa started choking from falling tears.
„NO!” She screamed, shocked that her daughter could ever think something like this. She wrapped her arms around Eclipsa and hugged her close. “No, baby, no! It’s not true! You are the most important thing to me in this whole world!” The Princess weeped into Queen’s chest, holding into her like she was her last resort. “I was doing this all for you! So you wouldn’t have to fight monsters when you’ll be the Queen!”
“I never wanted it! You never asked!”
She’s right... Solaria never considered on talking with Eclipsa about her opinions on the mewman-monster conflict, she assumed that everyone thought the same as she did. And they did! Besides Eclipsa....
But still, why would her daughter choose the enemy over her own kind? It didn’t make any sense!
“I just want to understand, Eclipsa... Why monster? Aren’t you happy here, with all your other friends? With me?”
Eclipsa wiped her nose in her arm, breathing heavily from emotions.
“What friends, mother? I don’t have any friends in the Butterfly Queendom! Everyone talks behind my back, that I’m weird and creepy and they make it sound like it’s a bad thing! Monsters never treated me like this and I was constantly meeting with them for. YEARS.”
“Impossible! Our subjects love you, they have to! You’re their Princess, their future Queen!”
What was she saying? People always smiled and waved at Eclipsa, they praised her to her mother!
“Maybe they just don’t say it, when you are around. People are terrified of you, even uncle Justhin and aunt Recluza! Even... Even me...”
“What..?” Solaria felt numb, like she was drowning all of the sudden. “You are... Scared... of me..?”
All this time she thought Eclipsa was too frightened of monsters too come to her for help, when in reality she was scared of her own mother...?
“Of course I am...“ Eclipsa sniffed. “You are the Monster Carver, you want to annihilate all monsters from the surface! Your chapter is full of descriptions on how to kill them in most cruel ways I have ever seen! And I am a traitor who wants to coexist with them... I was sure you would lock me up in the dungeons or end my life the moment you would find out the truth.”
“Sunshine...” Now Solaria’s eyes started to water.
Was she really such a horrible mother? How could she let Eclipsa think, that she would ever do anything like this to her?!
Gently, she placed her hand on the Princess’s face to wipe off the tears and make her look at her.
“Listen to me, o-okey? I love you no matter what, Eclipsa. I will always love you! I don’t give a fuck if you are friends with my worst enemies! I am your mother and I am so, SO sorry, that I made you feel like you don’t matter.. That you can’t tell me anything anytime...”
At this point they were both crying in each others arms and it kept going for almost a quarter of an hour.
“I don’t want to marry Shastacan, please don’t make me...” Gasped quietly Eclipsa, blowing her nose into a tissue. “He’s the biggest asshole I have ever met and I’ve met a lot.”
True, that Prince was a reall pain to deal with and if Eclipsa hated him that much...
“I won’t” Solaria promised, while stroking her child’s back.
She looked at the crumbled roll of paper, laying in Princess’s hand.
“So...” She started slowly, not sure where she should take it, because just asking her if she has a girlfriend or a boyfriend didn’t sound right. “That monster from the letter.....?”
“He's my boyfriend...”
Butterfly Queen had to use every muscle in her body to not scream ‘WHYYYY?!’ as the answer. She only managed to let out a very productive ‘Oh...’.
The room become quiet once again.
Wow, good job, Solaria.... You are really rocking at this, aren’t you?
“May I know, who is he?”
Please, please, PLEASE be something nice! As nice as a monster can be of course... A Slime would do, eventually... She would just order some Solarian Warrior to dispose of him or she would do it herself. Her daughter will for sure find someone knew!
The next thing Eclipsa said, made her jump off the bed in shock.
“....Do you remember that monster boy I was playing with, when I was something around... maybe ten? In the Forest of Certain Death?”
“That Size-Shifter, who tried to eat you?!”
Oh, how could she ever forget one of the most terrifying moments of her life? She almost lost her little girl to that beast!
“No! I told you back then that Globgor and I were having fun together, but you of course didn’t listen!”
“GLOBGOR?! Crusher of Sculls, Plucker of Limbs, the Prince of Darkness?! He's your boyfriend?!”
“I...Yes..?” Eclipsa smiled nervously, Solaria had to sit down for a moment or she would just fall. “We’ve been friends for few years now. He stopped eating meat, when we started dating, if that helps anything...”
They have been seeing eachother for years?! Under Solaria’s castle, right under her nose?! Fucking Prince of Darkness was coming here constantly and she didn’t even know!
Seeing that her mother was on the verge of throwing tantrum she tried to lighten up Horde General’s reputation.
“Globgor's actually a sweet-heart! He’s always so akward and easily flustered with me, it’s adorable! Plus, he hates war just like I do and wants peace between our people.”
“That’s not what I saw, when he was ripping apart my Solarian Warriors on the battlefield...” Solaria mumbled with her eye twitching.
What a damn irony..
“Oh, come on! Didn’t you notice that the main conflicts are always far away from the nearest villages? Globgor is working his ass off to hurt as little mewmans as possible!”
The Monster Carver was about to disagree, but then she recalled all the recent fights between the Butterfly Queendom and the Dark Kingdom. The cities and villages were indeed left almost untouched and she couldn’t remember when she last saw Monster General devour someone.
She still wanted to kill bastard, but seeing how her daughter’s eyes sparkled, when she talked about him was like a blow to her head. Eclipsa would never forgive her that...
Solaria, you fool...
“What do you want me to do?” Queen asked suddenly.
“Don’t kill him!” That was the first thing Princess said, naturally. “And PLEASE, consider peace treaty! I know that you hate monsters and you don’t believe that we can live together, but mom... Trust me, I know we can.”
Eclipsa is inteligent, she had to outsmart the whole Queendom and her to meet up in secret with this monster.
“...I trust you, sunshine...” Solaria said tenderly, but her voice changed into a whine. “But did it had to be a Size-Shifter? Of all monsters? And a member of the Dark family?”
“There was also a Septarian on the table...”
“You know what? You made a right choice! A Size-Shifter it is! Perfectly reasonable!”
Anything is better then those darn lizards... Even a mewman eating bitch.
Eclipsa burst out in laughter, yet she started crying a little bit once more.
“I-I thought you will resent me...”
“Never.”
They hugged again. So much stress and pain and sorrow was relieved with such simple words.
However Solaria begined to wonder, should she go for the peace? She didn’t feel good about letting those monsters run free in her Queendom, especially after all that bloodshed, but... Eclipsa knew them, she had faith in monsters enough to choose one of them as her lover, so Solaria should at least him them a chance. However she will meet her daughter’s ‘paramour' first and see with her own eyes if they’re actually worth it...
“What time is it?”
“Almost midnight. Why?”
“Globgor and I always meet up under the Rose Tower at this time, sooo....”
Should Solaria let her go there alone? She was kinda teared between ‘he will eat her' and ‘Eclipsa knows what she’s doing’.
“Ah, alright... You.....go there and I will join you in a minute. I just need to do something first.”
The young Princess looked concerned.
“You want to accompany me? I don’t think this is the best idea, considering... everything..?”
“Sunshine, I acknowledge your worry, but I really need to do it.”
“Okey... But promise me that you won’t hurt him! Or order someone else to do it or make him your prisoner and use him as a bait to get Monsters to surrender!”
Solaria looked at Eclipsa silently with no visible emotion on her face.
“I promise, Eclipsa.”
...
Going down the stairs Solaris heard quite voices, discussing something. One was obviously her daughter and the other one that sounded worried... She could only guess that was Monster Prince. It was weird, Monster Carver was used to his roars and snarls, not ‘normal' voice.
Solaria didn’t even think about letting them finish their conversation. That was her castle and she is going to take care of a problem right now...
“Are you alright? Is that person trying to blackmail you? If you're not safe here, you can go with me to my Kingdom or do you want to get rid off them in dirty way?”
“I’m fine, Globby! It turns out everything will be fine, just... Just, please, stay calm, okey? I promise, that she won’t harm you and if she tries- Which she won’t! -then I’ll stop her.”
“She-”
“Ehem.”
Prince of Darkness turned around alarmed by the stranger’s voice and freezed. Solaria send him a very nasty glare.
For almost a minute they just kept looking at eachother, both without a slightest idea about what should they do. Butterfly Queen made a step forward and monster jolted, when the worst possible realisation got to his brain.
Quickly, he covered mewman Princess, while locking eyes with the Monster Carver. Solaria grabbed her sword’s hilt, ready to fight back. She glanced at Eclipsa, who shaked her head, trying to assure her of her safety. In Solaria's opinion, Crusher of Sculls looked rather eager to attack, but then she looked closer and saw Size-Shifter's tail. It was swirling on the ground, as he let out a low, warning growl.
Fear...
This creature straight from mewmans worst nightmares with ability to grow bigger then Queen’s palace, was terrified of her.
As satisfying as it was, he was still blocking her way towards her daughter.
Eclipsa put hand on Horde’s General massive claw, making him bend down to her height and started to whisper something into his ear. She didn’t have to pull the monster, to get his immediate attention, young Princess didn’t even flinch when two pairs of glowing eyes turned towards her, like she wasn’t scared at all!
In awe Queen observed, how predatory looking eyes became soft, as Globgor gazed at Eclipsa.
Knowing now, what was the nature of their relationship, Solaria shouldn’t have been so shocked by the fact, yet it still felt off.
Seeing how gentle her enemy was with her daughter, how he acknowledged everything she said and just seemed to genuelly care about Eclipsa made her feel... Uneasy to put it atleast...
She was still enraged about all the lives that Plucker of Limbs took, so many good people died by his hands... The thought of him devouring Eclipsa kept reapearing in her mind..
Solaria took out the sword, making Eclipsa tighten her grip on her wand, ready to fire it if needed. She lifted weapon high and then plucked it deep into the solid ground. Young lovers recoiled slighty, but didn’t do anything crazy. Good, it was a small show of Queen's power, not a direct threat. Well, perhaps a little bit...
Even if temptaition off getting rid of the Horde's most important asset and distroying it completely was almost unbearable, she isn’t letting down Eclipsa like that.
Butterfly Queen didn’t trust monsters, but she trusted in her daughter’s judgment. She was so young, yet so brave and mature, perhaps braver then she was. Her sunshine will be the greatest Queen this world could ever ask for.
Monster Carver walked up to Prince of Darkness with her hand under the armour and unhappy look on her face. Without a word she took out a very royalish looking letter with official Butterfly stamp on it.
“My daughter trusts you, if you and your kind want peace, give it to the King. Do not fail her.”
... About ten years later...
Not even once in her entire life time Solaria thought that she would ever grow any kind feelings towards a monster. She tolerated her daughter’s husband of course and after some time she even began to see the similarities between them, but she knew, she will never like him. Actual fondness towards his people was one of the things Ex-queen couldn’t imagine, however something changed in her, the moment she saw two green clowers, when she leaned down to a eerie crib.
Newly born hybrid looked up at her with her yellow-magenta eyes, the slit pupils widening in suprise, then excitement.
Solaria held her breath, stunned, waiting.
Who woud know that a monster could be this beautifull?
Under the blanket something moved, a tiny tail sneaked out, wiggling, trying to reach her. Ex-queen brought closer her hand and amazed watched, how baby’s extra limb twines around her fingers. It was covered in dark fur with some adorable, purple, curly scut at the end.
“She’s so CUUUUTE!” Beside her Jushtin squealed loudly, making Globgor’s and Meteora’s ears roll back from the hurtfull sound. Solaria slapped the back of her brother’s head.
“Are you fucking stupid?!” She yelled-whispered. “You’re going to scare her, you idiot!”
Luckily that statement proved itself to be incorrect. Meteora let out a happy trill, clearly finding siblings abusing eachother funny. Her tiny wings fluttered in high speed, mimiking her Butterfly relatives. Solaria’s annoyed grimace grew into a loving smile. She felt warmth inside her chest simmiliar to that one, when she held Eclipsa for the very first time.
Suddenly the terrifying temple wasn’t so hideus and creepy, it couldn’t be since that little beastie was so comfortable in here.
Dark Princess sneezed, as her father gently tickeled her clower cheek with his tail.
Eclipsa and Globgor looked – how Justhin described it later – like they were ‘tripping balls’ from love, despite clear exoustion. Their half closed eyes paid attention only to Meteora, following her every move, both grinning happily at their most precious creation. King of Darkness was even purring! In her wildest dreams Solaria would never imagine it and now she was sure that if she asked him for the half of his kingdom, he would give it to her without a word of objection.
The look on Eclipsa’s face and meeting her hybrid granddaughter reassured Solaria, that all those years ago she made the best choice of her life.
And...
Maybe monsters weren’t so bad to interact with as she thought...