Marco's heart was now a different story. Before, it was just torn, still held together by a few strands of hope. Now, it was a broken, dismantled mess, generating more pain with each weakened beat.

She is out of your grasp. She loved you and you let her down.

"Please...stop..." Marco's red tears seared his skin wherever they went, but Marco couldn't feel it. That pain just piled up to the mountain on his chest, the pressure suffocating his brain.

Velvet just kneeled next to the small pool, her posture showing sympathy while her eyes remained void of any emotion. She cracked a little smile and cupped his face with both of her hands.
"Marco, Marco, Marco. Yes, she loved you, but that doesn't mean she stopped. She just has a shadow cast over her eyes. We'll make her see the truth."

Marco blinked a few times before weakly responding:
"S-see the truth?"

"Yes. She is wrapped in the cloak of that demon by the name of Tom. He took her away from you with a few sweet words and promises of a better future, which he already broke. But we both know how trustworthy Star can be. Sometimes a bit too much, right?"

"Yes." Marco's voice started to gain a little in strength, remembering Tom's actions. He promised he would change, but he is exactly as Star described him after their first break-up; jelaous, possessive and angry at everything.

"You remembered what he did to her, don't you?" She removed her hands from his face slowly. He just pursed his lips and stayed quiet, as Velvet smirked and stood up.

"Yes, you remember it clearly. She is trying to be a good princess, a good queen, but all he ever wants is dates and cuddles! He does not take her job seriously, her priorities! And even when he can't avoid them, he pouts like a little baby and throws a mini tantrum. What a prince, huh?" Velvet spread her arms wide as she walked back and forth, secretly prepairing for the second stage of her healing plan.

Marco sat up, somehow not sinking into the water anymore, and looked down, his right arm tingling.
"A horrible one."

"The monster party is a great example! Star did everything she could to make monsters and mewmans comfortable, and what did he do? Protest at her actions! He doesn't understand her like you do, Marco." She now stepped onto the water in the pool, her feet generating small waves as she walked behind him. She kneeled down and placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them in slow circular motion as he replied:
"No, he doesn't even try."

Smirking, Velvet whispered in his ear softly:
"He doesn't understand who she became after the battle with Toffee. Unlike you, he didn't have a responsibility in his life! That's why he thinks that just because he's her boyfriend, that he has the right to tear you apart."

Velvet's hands slowly traveled down his arms, until they reached his own. She joined his hands together, her cold, long fingers locking them in place, and bringing them to his chest. She craned her head so that her lips brushed against his cheek as she whispered slowly to him:
"He tore apart your love. He took what was rightfully yours. He claimed her as his by taking you away from her."

Marco slowly lifted his head, his gaze directed forward, cold and livid. His cheeks are once again decorated with the bright glow of his crescent moons, as he practically growls out:
"She is mine."

Velvet's smirk widened, her eyes gleaming in a dangerous glow. She quickly moved back and stood up, Marco following suit, his gaze not faltering in the slightest.
"Who is yours?" She asked as she walked around him in a dance-like fashion, her silk dress flowing behind her.

"Star Butterfly." He replied, clenching his fist.
"And she is whose?"
"STAR BUTTERFLY IS MINE!" with a powerful scream, his fist connected with the pink willow, red sparks flying everywhere. A giant crack in the tree signaled the extent of his power, of his rage.

Velvet gasped in delight as she approached the crack, which already started to heal with the help of her magic. She smirked darkly at Marco and spoke in a strong and clear tone:
"Yes, she is yours. How are you going to get her back?"
"I'm going back to the castle."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to fight Tom."
"Uh-huh?"
"And I will make Star mine!" Marco said with a grin on his face, his cheeks still glowing.

Velvet turned her back to him as she rubbed her chin, seemingly in thought.
"It's an ok plan, you just have a problem. He is a fire-wielding prince of the Underworld while you are a regular human with some karate experience. He will burn you before you even get close. Unless..." she whirled around and cupped his face again, her face extremely close to his, her lips an inch away from touching his.
"We make you even more powerful. If he's fire, we'll make you ice. If he's childish, we'll make you heroic. If he's the Prince of the Underworld, we'll make you King of Hell, and make his own freeze over."

Marco nodded, and looked at her in the eye, becoming more and more filled with the sudden distaste he felt for Tom.
"It's a deal."
"Then confirm it." She whispered as she licked her lips, her eyes flickering to his lips.
"What do you get from this, Velvet?" He repeated the question from before, this time looking out for any signs of a lie.
"I get to keep my magic, keep my home, and settle an old conflict I have with a demon."
Finding no sign of a lie, he nodded once more.

She grinned, and pressed her lips against his, her magic flowing through his veins. Marco closed his eyes, and kissed back slightly, pulling away as soon as possible. He set it in his head, Star is the only one he will kiss for longer periods of time. Velvet took a small step back, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk painted on her face. She dragged her eyes over his body, from head to toe.

"Well then, let's rip out those pesky wings, angel." Marco turned around with a smirk, taking off his hoodie and shirt for her. Velvet licked her lips once more and dug her arms into his back, her hands seemingly phasing through his flesh.
"Got them!" She yelled as she pulled two long red ribbons from his back, both glowing in an eerie glow, both having tips burned off.

She gripped them both with one hand and pulled hard, few more feet coming out of his back as he laughed humorlessly at the pain. He will not sucumb to pain anymore. Not now, not ever again. Once Velvet pulled out enough, she wrapped the ribbons around his neck, and pulled once more.

The ribbons tightened around his neck, cutting off his air supply, yet he couldn't care less. With a sinister smile, he lifted his right arm, watching with amusement as his veins started to glow blood red. With a final chuckle, he yelled:
"Do it!!!"

Velvet gripped him by the shoulders tight and threw him into the water, his body sinking to the floor motionlessly. Magic circled his body, flowing into it in large quantities.

Velvet grinned, her narrowing pupils looking up at the Blood Moon shining down upon her with a haunting glow.
"You didn't want to act, so I did. You could have had a prince, now you have a devil."

Ocean Fury