Summary:
Not all princesses like the crown
Festiva smiled, looking down at the disinterested girl. This was the moment all queens looked forward to … even if her own mother couldn't be there for hers. Oddly, her second born daughter, Crescenta, seemed to be more excited about this event than Dirhhennia herself, the older, paler, black haired child being a stark contrast to the excitable blonde that couldn't help but jump up and down throughout the day.
Festiva wanted this to be a grand occasion, the biggest part to end all parties…except any idea she ran across Dirhhennia was met with a mere 'heap' every time she showed off her plans. The only thing that didn't ignite a response were gray and black streamers, which Festival took as a sign that it was what Dirhhennia liked, so the entire royal room was painted with a fresh coat of black and gray all over.
Black dresses and suits for the guests, black and white cake, all black coffee. Even the Rose Guard, who stood against the wall, wore black with a skull t-shirt. Festiva thought it was a tad overkill, but the woman wasn't crying by the border, so that was a win. "Drehnia, do you swear to uphold the legacy of the crown, and do right by all Mewmans?" She asked the phrase Papa Omni taught her.
Dirhhennia breathed a soft 'heap', before sighing, and held out her hand. "Yeah, sure, I'll do that." Well, that was good enough for her. She handed over the chalice to her daughter, watching as it cracked, the liquid spilling onto the ground as it became … an eight ball with wings. "Huh…more colorful than I wanted it to be."
"Wow sis, you finally have the wand! That's so amazing, it's so incredible!" Crescenta couldn't hold in her excitement for her older sister as she shook the still unenthused girl all over the place. "You're going to do amazing magic and be super powerful and do super amazing things! What's the first spell you're going to use?!"
"Hm…" Dirhhennia tapped the wand on her hand for a few seconds, before heaping again and tapping the wand on her own head. "Disappear." The upcoming Queen of Mewni suddenly vanished before the audience, hardly leaving a trace that she was even there at all.
There was a snort, the audience turning to the Rose Guard. "Oh, sorry, just … it was so sudden I found humor in it."
"Yes, yes, very funny." Festiva sighed with a small laugh. She probably should have guessed that Dirhhennia's first spell would've been to hide away from people. "Okay Dirhhennia, reappear yourself so we can actually celebrate.." The doors of the room swung open and immediately closed shut. "Or you go and celebrate on your own, that works too."
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Mina spied from the treelines. The Commission and the Queen did nothing, so it was up to her to keep an eye on the Rose Guard, the most abominable thing to walk the earth. "Remember people, take breaks. I got plenty of fruit back from some other dimensions, so feel free to eat and rehydrate." Despicable.
"Thanks!" A disgusting and treacherous looking hoard of monsters, A filthy slime, a treacherous Kappa, and a despicable lizard, said at the same time as they worked with tools as if they actually knew how to handle them. A monkey could be trained to do the same thing.
"I never really thought about carving out trees before." A frog man spoke, taking a bite out of the fruit. "We usually just take caves and lakes, or huddle inside of the branches. There's no reason to destroy a food source for shelter."
"You can always regrow them. As long as you waste not a single resource, and look after nature rather than plowing right through it, you can achieve a nice balance." Rose smiled in a way that messed up Mina's insides. "The plants provide air, food, shelter. All they ask in return are the sun, water, and for us to spread the seeds of their young."
"Do you really think that we're going to be able to make our own kingdom just like the Mewmans have?" A two headed monster asked he took a big swig of water from a large barral. "It seems a little big for just a couple of monsters to do."
"Mewni was founded on simple farming and agriculture. All it takes is for a couple of people to do their part, no matter how little, for an entire community to thrive." The pink bitch spouted words of treason that Solaria would've never taken lightly without pummeling the woman to dust. "And trust me when I say, you don't have to worry about the new queen getting in the way. She's not in all as motivated as all of you."
Sadly true, when given the wand all they did was hang around in their room. Entirely unproductive for a queen. "I suppose it's a relief then." The leader of a decent section of monsters, Seth the Lizard, walked to Rose. "I don't have to worry about Mewmans hurting my kind, and monsters can thrive and grow as everyone else seems to have done."
"Precisely. Not all progress needs to be solved with violence." The traitor snorted as she got cozy with Seth like the damn snake she was. "With how everything is progressing, Mewni will probably end up relying on Monsters for food with their resources dwindling by the day."
That … that was the end game wasn't it. Mina snapped the pinecone in her hand as she glared at the bitch. She needed to do something about this, to stop that woman from forcing them to rely on monsters for help. Who knows what blackmail they'll force.
"Excuse me?" A voice came up from behind, and as she looked up, she saw a large and tall triangle headed figure in what looked like a tux and carrying a war hammer. "I love guest stars as much as the next gem, but I don't recall you of all people getting an invite."
"A gem eh?" Mina cracked her knuckles. "I'm always down to take down an ally of Rose's." No one else was willing to after all.
"Well it's like the old saying goes, any enemy of my friend is an enemy of mine." The tall figure twisted her torso around like a twister and smashed her through the trees. "And the lovely Sardonyx has so many amazing tricks saved up for special occasions such as this!"
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Rose smiled as she walked through the castle. Talking with Seth was the best! Someone who actually listened to reason these days, even if he still had the one track mind of Mewmans being evil. But he cared so much about nature and others it almost reminded her of herself.
It was basically one step forward, and one giant step backwards from how it should've been ironically enough. Who would've thought all it would take for monsters to finally show progress was for her to grow distasteful of the 'new Butterfly' line?
It was a bitter pill to swallow allowing this farce to continue this long. Rose just longed to see Eclipsa again. Her, Jushtin, Skywyne … Solaria when the girl was still innocent. She kept forgetting how short the lives of organics were.
But maybe Rose let her bitterness get to her. Festivia was a disaster of a queen progress wise, though that was due to having The Commission of all people as her only family. Maybe if she didn't distance herself so much, Mewni wouldn't be in such a disheveled state.
Maybe she should talk with the current queen, try guiding her right this time. She opened the door … to see the girl drawing circles on the walls like someone possessed by a demon wrote about scripture. "Ahhhh…"
The girl kept heaping as she continued to draw, each circle the same size and same darkly gray color, which was almost hard to tell when the room was already so darkly painted to begin with. "Hmm..could use a little more black." Dirhhennia kept drawing until her focus shifted to the new body in the room. "…Don't you ever think you're a little too pink?"
"Once or twice about two thousand years ago." Rose idly answered before shaking her head. "Never mind that, what's with all.." Rose gestured to the circles. "…this?"
"Mom and sis have been hounding me to 'start using the wand' and 'make a new spell' since I haven't used it since I vanished during the ceremony …" She pointed to the object. "So I made a spell that makes black paint."
"I see you've been putting it to good use.." She trailed on, seeing that pretty much every object in the room was covered in black somehow. "So what's with the…enthusiasm with the circles?"
"Balls." The new queen corrected. "I've shaded them all in, they're three dimensional, not two."
"I see …" Rose nodded hesitantly. "Then may I ask why you chose … balls?" She asked with a hint of worry she was dealing with another Soupina … it started with balls … then bubbles … then popping reality.
"They keep popping in my head. I just … think about them." The girl sighed. "Everyone calls me weird for it. They're the only thing that makes sense to me by this point." The glum girl heaped again. "They have no sides, no points, no beginning or end, yet they're able to exist as they roll down the complicated hill of life."
Rose merely hummed. "That's a very …" Pessimistic. "Mature way of … thinking."
"I guess. Mom is always trying to get people happy, but it only helps people to a point. My boyfriend Chad just says I'm a realist." Dirhhennia sighed.
"Oh, you have a boyfriend?" Rose asked.
"He lives in the woods … he just gets me." The girl stared out the window. "I just … feel good when I'm with him. None of this 'queen' or 'responsibility' stuff that everyone keeps expecting me to do."
Rose stared at the girl, before sitting down next to her, patting her back. "I … kinda spent your mother's entire rule living in the woods with monsters." She admitted.
"Oh really?" The girl actually looked like she showed a microfracture of interest on her face. "Was it peaceful? Getting away from everyone?"
"Oh very much so." She admitted. "Everyone says 'monsters are evil' this and that, but they're just as thoughtful as you or I. Of course the Commission refuses to see it that way, but forget them." She turned to the girl. "The only thing I regret is leaving the kingdom to rot … your mother kinda blew your budget and now everyone is in a large amount of debt."
"And they expect me to fix it …" The girl heaped even louder and laid on her back. "Sure, tell the girl who's never been taught anything other than how to mix drinks from her mom to fix all her problems." Dirhhennia groaned. "This kingdom is doomed to fail."
"I would suggest leaving all your problems and just running away, but that wouldn't be the responsible thing to suggest." Rose admitted.
"Running away you say…." The girl pondered for a bit, before shrugging. "Probably won't make a difference anyways. Heckapoo's been threatening to give the throne to Crescneta if I don't 'shape up' or whatever."
"What, she can't do that!" Rose shouted with rage. "You have a much to the right as any-"
"Nah, it's fine." The girl admitted. "Besides … magic is kinda boring anyway. Who needs reality warping stuff when you have love?"
That was legitimately the first time Rose considered magic and love from that angle when put in that context. "It's a shame that you don't want to be Queen. You're pretty wise for your age."
"Well to you, ninety years olds may as well be toddlers."
"It certainly feels like I'm talking to big babies most of the time nowadays." It was refreshing, talking about love with someone else … just like Eclipsa. Maybe…just maybe there was hope for this Butterfly family.
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Hekapoo looked at the gem before her with a scowl. "Rose…"
"Heckapoo." The pink bitch said indifferently. "Been almost half a century since I last saw you…wish it was longer."
"The feeling's mutual." She scowled. "So, here to rise against the 'injustice' of exchange again, just like you did with Jushtin?"
"Oh there's so much more that I dream of enacting justice upon, but that day won't be today." Rose said stern before smiling. "Fortunately, Festivia managed not to screw up Dirhhennia as a person like she did the kingdom, so I'm just watching to see if the same can be said about the new queen."
"She wasn't that bad." They all stared at Omnitraxus Prime with deadpan looks. "Could we not insult my baby girl?"
"We're still in debt." She turned to Rose. "The woman thought you could magic up money."
"… I mean … haven't we been using magic to grow food?"
"The girl doesn't know how to make anything other than cake or alcohol, so suffice to say we're in dire need of a change." Heckapoo had to admit.
"We gather here, for the transfer of the wand." Festivia interrupted with the real reason they were all here. "From my daughter, Queen Dirhhennia, to my daughter, Princess Crescenta." She leaned down, whispering something to the two of them.
"How young is she? She barely looks past fourteen." Rose observed. Easy mistake to make, Creacenta had a habit of dressing up like a doll.
"She reaching about twenty or so." Rhombulous answered.
"… I can't tell if it's just genetics or the dress." Probably both.
"Alright, the wand may be transferred now." They all watched as the young girl eagerly scooped up the wand in her hand. The ball expanded like a balloon, before popping into a field of hearts.
"Oh, it's so pretty and amazing!" Crescenta shouted as the now heart shaped wand with wings glowing in her hands. "I have the wand now and I'm going to be the bestest queen ever and make amazing spells that'll help everyone and be super duper useful and amazing and.." hearts were practically emanating everywhere from this chick.
"Congratulations." Dirhhennia said in a downward tone like usual. "Here, I made this for you." The girl pulled from her pocket…a ball of mud.
"Oh..so…rustic.." The usually happy girl looked like she was straining her face to keep the smile on herself.
"Aww … it's talmatic mud." They all turned to Rose curiously. "It's a gesture of affection, Seth gives them to me all the time." She admitted as if talking with a dangerous monster was no big deal.
"You know you're skating on thin ice." Heckapoo silently threatened. "Just because we can't imprison you doesn't mean we can't and won't stop you when this little project of yours goes wrong."
"Yee of little faith." The woman chuckled. "I'll be off now … I'll see you some other time I suppose." The woman walked off.
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Dirhhennia held her lover's hand, the two of them gazing into one another's soul. "Your matted hair really brings out the black soul within your eyes." Such a way with words.
"And yet my black soul still manages to fill a tinge of warmth whenever it interacts with yours." She replied back. "I have nothing to fear from the cole dark nights with you around."
"Awwww." The two of them were interrupted by the intruding third party of Rose Quartz. "The two of you are really cute together. So romantic."
"Rose, please don't embarrass us." She complained.
"Sorry, it's just, I really love when love is working out." The woman amended. "So do you need anything else, help making your house? A secluded dimension for the both of you?"
"Nah. We love nature, but we're not that into exploring." Chad waved his hand. "Mewni is certainly big enough for us to find a place to settle."
"Besides, as annoying as they are, I still want to see my family." Dirhhennia heaped. "We don't agree on anything, but eh, whatcha going to do about it?"
"Oh, you have no idea how much I wish I had that attitude about five thousand years ago."
"Say … do you mind watching over my sister?" She hated to ask this, but it was better than the girl getting no help. "She has some control issues and tries to aim higher than she needs all the time."
"I've noticed..five hundred spells in her first year…and only levitato seems to be of any use." Rose sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I'll do my best. It was my job to be the shield for the Butterfly's, I think I've held off on it long enough."
"Thanks." Dirhhennia let out a sigh of relief. "It's hard to find someone you can really trust, especially nowadays."
"I know. After Eclipsa's imprisonment, I thought I was done putting my trust in Mewmans." Rose let out a light chuckle. "But…you've shown me that I shouldn't give up on them too easily."
"There's light and darkness in all living beings, all that must happen is balancing it before the darkness or light devours you, seeping into all living things as you fly on the path to eradicate all shadows or sunlight." Chad spoke with his amazing words.
"..You know, I thought I was done feeling existential after my first three thousand years of existence, but somehow you proved me wrong."
"I know, he's such a poetic genius." Dirhhennia heaped in slight glee.