Eclipsa's daughter is still alive?! Wraith's Journal #41 [S3E14/15 - Stump Day through Total Eclipsa the Moon]

Journal #40 S3E13 - Monster Bash

A little bit of a reprieve and then right back into the heart of the story! It's Stump Day.. and another special day! The spells have their own celebrations going on. Star tries to tell her mom about Heinous's true identity, but River drags her away for a lesson in patience. And Moon and Eclipsa go to investigate what happened to Eclipsa's daughter! Let's find the truth!

~

It's Stump Day - the celebration of the foundation of the kingdom of Mewni when some lost travelers huddled around a stump for shelter and decided to stay together. Star loves this day, and still has a child-like sense of wonder about it. It's kind of like Christmas, except unlike Santa, you don't want the Stump to visit you(?).

That night, Marco gets Star out of bed for a surprise quinceañera! Star is mortified, arguing that this day is 'the Stump's day' - it must be honored above all else. Star tries to destroy the party, and Marco asks her what's up since he worked hard on organizing everything.

Pony and Tom team up on Marco for not doing what Star wanted, and Marco fires back on Tom for forgetting Star's birthday. Everyone gets upset at each other, and Star gets nervous that the strife will upset the Stump.

Janna flips the mood by burning the Stump Day stump, causing the actual Stump to appear. It's a literal, giant stump which entangles everyone and starts to kill them. Star calls out everyone for not believing, causing everyone to repent. Everyone joins hands in a circle to await the end, and the Stump disappears, although Star notes that it was just midnight and they were definitely going to die.

Star finally thanks Marco for throwing her a party, and Marco serves her a slice of rainbow cake, which she eats in less than 3 seconds (I don't think that's healthy). The mariachi band plays, and everyone enjoys the party.

~It's the holiday episode, and this one actually aired at a point that makes sense in the timeline. I like the extent to which Marco went to give Star an awesome birthday he really cares about her and wanted things to be special for her. Everything worked out in the end. And like.. is the Stump actually real or what? Is it some magical entity or what?

~

It's a Holiday Spellcial and the spells in the Wand are celebrating, too.

Spider is leading the way in getting everything ready, and meets All-seeing Eye (ASE) who has moved in since Star used it a few times. ASE doesn't speak - its entire form is.. an eye - and everyone is wary of it since it spies on everyone.

At the dinner, ASE reveals various bad things everyone said and did, including Spider being annoyed at everyone not getting along and saying that everyone 'stinks'. Everyone leaves to go to their rooms. Spider calls out ASE, and ASE shows a clip of Marco and Jackie where Jackie apparently broke a vase in the Diaz house by skateboarding "It's always best to tell the truth". Spider has some last words for ASE before, too, retiring to his room.

ASE apparently has a change of heart and starts showing the spells being kind to one another and working together. Everyone comes out of their rooms and sees what ASE is showing. Spider is brought to tears. ASE once again shows the clip of Marco and Jackie "It's always best to tell the truth".

It's a Stump Day miracle! Everyone comes back together and celebrates.

~It seems the lesson of Stump Day is to come together despite the odds. Few things: ASE actually has a good personality. I like that Marco and Jackie (of all people) appeared in a 'spells' episode - and this means that Star totally spied on them more than once. And I guess my question, if anything is: so how does it work if spells are used by multiple queens? I guess they just take up residence in the room where they've most recently been used?

~

Star barges into Moon's office where Moon was examining several papers with a book titled 'Laws of Mewni'. Moon is upset at Star for throwing a party at the Monster Temple, so upset that she doesn't really flinch at Star telling her about Heinous being Eclipsa's daughter. Moon is also surprised that Mina and Rhombulus were there to crash the party. Star accuses Moon of lying about sending Rhombulus, so Moon throws her out of her office.

~This isn't really relevant to anything here, but for the longest time, I've thought that Mewni didn't really have codified laws - that the queen just kind of did whatever seemed right in the moment. This book exists though, so apparently laws are written down, at least somewhat.

~What is relevant is Moon not knowing about Mina or Rhombulus being at Monster Temple. Who's really in charge of things? Does Moon know anything about what was/is at Monster Temple?

Star tries to charge back in to talk to her mom, but River steps in and gently points out that she 'rushes into things'. He then declares an impromptu "hunting trip!" citing generations of Johansens doing so.

River and Star go into the woods and meet Eddie. River informs them they're hunting The Bogbeast of Boggabah. Eddie goes away to make preparations. Meanwhile, River and Star set forth on a series of tedious rituals through which Star takes all the shortcuts. River even makes them start all over when Star messes up 'ancient writing' thingy.

Star finally thinks she's ready, and River determines she is. However, River cricks his back really bad and needs to rest. He also says he lied to Star just like his father lied to him about being ready. River goes to sleep and Star does too, almost losing it in the process.

In the night, Star hears the sound of the Bogbeast. She leaps out of her sleeping bag, magics herself a huntress outfit, turns her Wand into a bow, and runs into the darkness after the sound.

Star runs straight into some deep mud and starts to sink, losing her Wand in the process. A shadowy figure approaches and... crowns Star? It's River, with several Mewmans including Eddie!

River: Greetings, all! I present you the Bogbeast of Boggabah!

people throw mud on Star in celebration

River: Congratulations, pumpkin!

Star: [chuckles] What? Me? I am not the Bogbeast!

River: Of course you are! We've all been the Bogbeast at one point or another! Old Eddie here has even been the Bogbeast twice! Being impulsive and running into situations headfirst without thinking is your specialty, dear. But it's also what makes a Bogbeast. You have so much greatness in you. I don't want anything to stand in your way, especially yourself. Please remember this hunt always.

Star: I will, dad.

Everyone starts to celebrate, including Star, who finally realizes her talk with her mom can wait.

In the morning, Star returns to the castle. Still covered in mud, she knocks on her mom's office door...

~This is fun. I like Star and her dad's relationship. They bounce off each other well and River knew just what Star needed in the moment. Maybe Star learned a valuable lesson after all? Either way, Star rushes into things - it's just who she is and she makes it work. And Star's outfit is really cool!

~Also, do those Mewmans in the woods like, live there? And girl, why did you not clean the mud off yourself before tracking that all through the castle?!

~

We return to Moon who has just thrown Star out of her office. She stress-eats some cornritos and looks at the 'Butterfly Family' tome sitting on a pedestal across the room. She has a realization: "Fine."

~That tome is very thick. How much story can the Butterfly Family really tell? Also, it's a parallel episode! We haven't had one of these since Starsitting/On the Job if I'm not mistaken. I like the storytelling going on here.

Moon goes to Eclipsa's cell room and finds her playing a guitar made out of a skeleton (how does that.. sound?). Moon shows Eclipsa the 'Butterfly Family' tome and wants to know if Eclipsa can identify her daughter. Eclipsa looks very sad. Moon becomes sympathetic.

Eclipsa: It's just.. I haven't seen my daughter in three hundred years.

Moon: Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—

Eclipsa: No, it's fine. I'm fine.

~Moon may have a bit of a hard shell, and not get along with Monsters or those who associate with them, but she does connect with parents (Buff Frog).

The \"complete history of the Butterfly family\" - except history is written by the victors

Eclipsa is utterly confused when Moon shows her the Butterfly that succeeded her - Festivia. Eclipsa describes her daughter:

Eclipsa: My daughter was Meteora.

Moon: Well, the name may have been changed.

Eclipsa: My daughter had pretty little clovers on her cheeks and the cutest tail in all of Mewni.

~Festivia just looks like a normal Mewman. She looks nothing like Eclipsa, anyway.

Moon: ...how could this not be your daughter? This is the complete history of the Butterfly family! If this isn't your daughter, then who is she?

Eclipsa: I wish I could tell you. The Royal Archive would have the truth.

Moon: The Archive? In the Bureaucracy of Magic? Where they keep lunch receipts and office supplies?

Eclipsa: Don't judge a room by its supplies. The Archive has the real history, beyond what's in your book.

Moon: Well, I don't have access to the Archive. Don't even know how to get there.

Eclipsa: I could come with you.

Moon: [chuckles nervously] No, no, no. That, uh, won't be possible. I'd never hear the end of it if I took you out of here.

Eclipsa: Well, good luck.

Moon starts to leave

Eclipsa: If you find out what happened, please let me know. I had a daughter. I'd like to know what happened to her.

Moon: [sighs] Fine. Let's go. I can't believe I'm doing this.

Eclipsa: Well, think of it as a girls' night if that makes you feel better!

Moon: It doesn't.

~Eclipsa totally doesn't take this personally at all. No, seriously. Moon is looking to have her crystalized forever, and she's giddy at the prospect of a "girls' night" with her. Anyway, we're like 99% sure Meteora is Eclipsa's daughter at this point. But how does this 'Butterfly Family' tome exist? It's.. clearly wrong. And the Archive being at the Bureaucracy of Magic.. that's the 'office' of the MHC. Why would they need to keep an archive of the Butterfly family on their turf?

Total Eclipsa the Moon would make a nice duet name. Anyway, Moon very obviously sneaks Eclipsa into the Bureaucracy of Magic under her dress. She talks her way past Sean, and Eclipsa and Moon make their way to the entrance to the Archive, which is hidden in an old part of the Bureaucracy.

Sean stumbles in on Moon and Eclipsa. Eclipsa smirks at the prospect of being caught, and Moon stammers to try and get Sean to not report them to the MHC. Eclipsa suggests a 'mind eraser' spell, which Moon accidentally performs while criticizing Eclipsa's abuse of magic.

They proceed into an underground passageway. Eclipsa sings a song to remember the way (I'd almost say this is fun for her), and they eventually end up at a closed, grand archway.

~What on Earth is down here? This is more than just an archive, this is a whole labyrinth of.. stuff.

It's an old, conventional doorknob which Eclipsa can't unlock. She crawls into a rat hole to go around but Moon gets stuck. Eclipsa eventually makes her way around to free Moon but not before a spider steals her crown. Anyway, they're in.

Royal Archive at the Bureaucracy of Magic

~This place is really cool. A tall room full of scrolls and magically-automated machines that record everything that has ever happened to the royal family, including River crowning Star the 'Bogbeast of Boggabah'. It has kind of a warm feeling to it (at least it does to me). I dunno, maybe it's because my self-appointed title 'The Archivist' in the fandom makes me appreciate it more. Just think of all the knowledge that's in here ("All knowledge is good knowledge!")!

Eclipsa warns Moon about the alarm traps. Eclipsa knows the way to her scrolls:

Eclipsa: Ah, here it is! [reads the very obviously doctored scroll] "And so the daughter of Eclipsa and King Shastacan, Princess Festivia, was crowned queen upon her mother's imprisonment." They took her out. They erased all record of my daughter completely. Who's Festivia?

Moon: Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this.

\"Who's Festivia?\"

~Again, Moon is oddly sympathetic with Eclipsa here. Is it because she's a fellow parent, or because Moon sees an injustice that something is being hidden - least of which from their family?

Moon accidentally triggers an alarm on the way out. They run for it, but the spider from before has returned, and tries to steal the scroll (shiny...). Moon coolly steals back her crown and retrieves the scroll, and she and Eclipsa narrowly avoid detection by the MHC.

~One more time, Moon is going quite out of her comfort zone here. She's going behind the MHC's back even though they're supposed to be on the same side - though to be fair, they seem to have their own agenda.

They're back at Moon's office.

Moon: All right, so it's clear someone's orchestrated a cover-up. And I think I know who it was.

Eclipsa: They erased my daughter. I'm the one on trial.

Moon: Eclipsa, I believe your daughter may still be alive.

Eclipsa: What? But how?!

Star knocks, and enters

Star: Hey.

Moon & Eclipsa: Hey.

It's time the Butterflys hatched a plan.

~The mystery just keeps getting deeper. Eclipsa knows stuff. Moon thought she knew stuff. The MHC knows stuff. But no one knows everything. They don't know that we know that they know.

~Yeah like, Eclipsa and Moon is quite the odd duo. They have their disagreements, but they get along well when they need to. I also like that Moon's character is being challenged. She's used to upholding the status quo - that Eclipsa and Festivia are her great-something grandmothers - but that's being challenged. It just doesn't make sense anymore. Who is Festivia? What happened to Meteora and how is she still alive now? Why is this all being covered up?

~In the beginning of this story arc we were supposed to believe Eclipsa is the bad guy - she messed with dark magic and fraternized with a Monster in a time of war. But at every turn, Eclipsa - though she made some mistakes - seems to have been caught by circumstance and personal disagreement. In other words, she genuinely doesn't seem actually evil. But then, who is? Who can we trust? Can we even trust ourselves?

~

It's Christmas in July Stump Day in August! But anyway, Star had her 15th birthday on Stump Day and the spells celebrated, too. More importantly, Star learned a lesson in patience and not rushing into things which bought time for Eclipsa and Moon to uncover more of the truth about Eclipsa's daughter.

Star Butterfly - Bogbeast of Boggabah

Total Eclipsa the Moon is obviously the highlight episode here. It's like half-adventure and half-mystery which I think is awesome.

I just have so many questions (even though I know the answer to most of them). Why did someone go to such lengths to cover up Eclipsa's daughter, even though evidence is just laying around that throws that into question? What do the MHC and Mina know that the Butterflys themselves do not? Why do the MHC have this doctored scroll in their archive?

I've come to appreciate this story arc because again, Eclipsa ever since her introduction has been presented as this dark queen who did a bunch of things wrong and got punished for them. Meanwhile we've been breaking that down and figuring out that 'hey, Eclipsa might not be so bad after all', but also that she might be the one who's been wronged.

It's kind of like the Ludo/Toffee arc. Star started off not realizing just how bad Monsters had been treated, and slowly started to realize that Monsters could be decent people. Meanwhile Star has to ask why Toffee was really after her magic. Here, we have to ask why Eclipsa has been vilified for so long. Who's doing the vilifying? What's their goal?

The story just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Everything is connected in a huge web. You think you've figured out one thing but then 3 more strands show up. I love it. Something big is going to happen. Will it be good news, or just more trials and tribulations?