Hello everybody and welcome to the second installment of my Star vs the Forces of Evil series. Not gonna bore you with a long intro so let's just jump right into it. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. So without any further ado, let's gets started.

Highway to Hex: Prologue.

(Pachym Desert, Zunaan Dimension: June 6, 2046)

For countless ages, Zunaan was known as the Land of Sand and Blood.

A desert world bathed in the light of three red suns.

Home of the Zuna, a powerful race of four-armed elephant people divided into twenty-three separate warrior tribes; each one at war with the others since the dawn of civilization.

But then one day, ten years ago, a stranger walked out into the middle of a particularly violent battlefield, and with one magnificent display of power, this traveler from a distant land brought nine armies to their knees.

From there, the stranger set out with his new followers to conquer the remaining tribes, and in the span of five days, he brought an end to a millennia long conflict without killing a single Zuna.

To show the warrior their gratitude, the Zuna built for him an immaculate palace of bronze and marble, and declared him their king.

And in time, some even came to see him as a god.

That man was an American citizen of Hispanic descent.

And his name was Marco Diaz.

On an unusually humid day in early June, two men were taking a stroll down one of the gilded halls of this grand palace, having a relatively casual conversation.

The first man was a tall, muscular Latino, with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. His face was, for lack of a better word, perfection; save for the fact that it was marred by a large scar across the left eye and a fair amount of stubble along the jawline. He wore a sleeveless, black leather jacket with no shirt, so as to show off his apelike chest and washboard stomach; which were similarly marred with numerous battle scars and tribal tattoos. Around his neck he wore a golden chain attached to a crimson cape that flowed down to just above his custom-made leather boots. He wore no crown, but he didn't need one. His aura alone conveyed his divine right to rule.

The second man was nowhere near as buff as the first, but he was still quite athletic. He was a rather suave looking fellow with lightly tanned skin, dark blue eyes and an orange handlebar moustache that matched his exquisitely groomed mane. Upon his head, he wore a crown of gold and upon his belt he wore a black hilted saber.

His name was Solaris Butterfly.

Poet.

Painter.

Fighter.

King.

The greatest lover and the most skillful swordsman alive.

At least in his wife's opinion.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Said the first man to the second man as they continued their little stroll. "You asked me to teach them how to fight, that's what I did. You asked me not to go easy on them and I didn't."

"Yes, but when I said that I meant don't let them quit halfway through doing sit-ups. Not throw them into a ring and start using them as punching bags." The second man replied, with an accent that could easily be mistaken for British. "I mean, really. Sparing with you on their first day. What in heaven's name were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I only have them for two weeks, so we need to hit the ground running. Besides, it's not like they were in any real danger, I was only giving it 2%."

"And I've seen you do far worse with less."

"Well, you can't blame me for getting carried away every now and then. Heh-Heh."

"This isn't a game, Marco!" the Mewman King said furiously; unconsciously reaching for the hilt of his sword. "These are my children's lives we're talking about. And if you even think about putting them through that kind of punishment again, so help me I'll…"

"You'll what?" the scarred man asked, with a tone of bored antagonism. "Don't get me wrong, your reputation as a swordsman is well deserved, and your Flash Step technique is quite formidable. But make no mistake, you're only a man. Whereas I… well, I'd say I'm a god, but personally I think such a tittle is beneath me."

Solaris just scowled at his arrogance.

"But all joking aside, you have nothing to worry about. I gave Star my word that I wouldn't inflict any permanent damage. And as you know, a pact between the two of us is stronger than any other."

"Yes… I suppose that's true." The Mewman King said reluctantly as he took his hand off his trusty saber. "Just try not to let yourself get carried away again."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The Latino King replied, half mockingly, before shifting to a somewhat more serious tone. "So, what's the word on Buff Frog these days?"

"Well, he's doing better, I suppose." Solaris said, with a subtle hint of solemnness in his voice. "The doctors say the disease is in remission, but he's not out of the woods yet. And he's already lost so much weight."

"That bad, huh?"

"Even worse I'm afraid. Poor devil looks like a frog costume with no one in it."

"Yeesh."

"I know, all of Typhon's in a tizzy. For most of them, Buff Frog is the only King they've ever known. If he should die before choosing an heir then… well, I don't even want to think about it."

"Won't the throne just go to one of his kids? I mean, he's got like twelve of them."

"That's just it. Buff Frog never picked which one would be his successor. He said he trusted them to work it out amongst themselves."

"Then what's the problem? They're good kids. If worse comes to worse, I'm sure they'll figure something out."

"Yes, but who knows how long that could take. An empty throne can lead to a lot of trouble, you know."

"Meh, I wouldn't worry about it. Buff Frog's too stubborn to die anyway."

"Easy for you to say. Typhon isn't right next door to your Kingdom."

"Oh, lighten up, Solaris. You keep letting yourself get worked up like this and you're gonna end up working yourself to death."

"Humph. Must be nice having that much power at your disposal. Never having to worry about yourself or the ones you love."

"It is. It really is." Marco said, almost tauntingly, as the two men finally reached their destination; a small, jade colored door at the end of the hall. "After you, Your Majesty."

And without a word, the Mewman King opened said door and the two of them walked right on through.

"AIYEEEEEEE!" squealed a familiar whiney voice from just across the room beyond. "THAT HURTS!"

To no one's surprise, the girlish shriek was revealed to be that of Princess Marisol; though you'd hardly know it to look at her. Gone were her signature pink dress and matching tiara, and in their place, she wore a simple white gi with a matching belt and no shoes. Her usually pristine blonde hair was mussed and soiled with dirt. And at least 45% of her body was covered in bandages. In fact, the only thing that remained of Mewni's perfectly prissy princess was the pair of pastel pink teacups that adorned her cheeks.

"Oh, quit whining, you big baby." Said her sister Artemis, who was in a similar state of injury. "Hell, I'm hurt a lot worse than you and you don't hear me bitching about it."

"Mummy says we're not allowed to use the words Aunt Janna taught us."

"Yeah, well Mummy's not here. So as far as I'm concerned, she can go…"

"AHEM!" came the stern but even voice of their father; instantly alerting them to his presence.

"D-Dad!" Princess Artemis said alarmedly. "Wha-Wha-What are you still doing here?"

"Yes, I'm kind of wondering that myself." Said Marco mockingly. "What the hell are you still doing here?"

"What I'm doing here, Marco, is making sure that my daughters are alright after that beating you gave them. As is my right as a father."

"Oh, quit coddling them, you old fool. Their injuries are only superficial. And once Hex returns with the new Restoration Pods, they'll be ready for another lesson in no time."

"You're going to send them into the arena again? So soon?"

"But of course. Like I said, I only have them for two weeks. So, if I'm going to get anything to stick, they need as much training as possible."

"But… But they're only children."

"Children whose last name happens to be Butterfly. And as I'm sure you're aware, that puts an enormous target on their backs. They must learn how to defend themselves. You can't shield them forever, Whimsy."

"Now see here!"

"Oh, just stay out of it, Dad!" Artemis cut in sharply, causing her sister to gasp in alarm. "You're always doing this. You're always treating us like babies. Well we're not! We're thirteen! Almost the same age Mom was when she took the throne."

"Yes, I know that, Darling. But…"

"But nothing! Marco's right. You can't protect us forever and you can't stop us from growing up. Like it or not, one day, Marisol's gonna be the next Queen of Mewni and I'm gonna be the greatest warrior this universe has ever seen. So either help us get there or stay the hell out of our way!"

Needless to say, Solaris was not prepared for such an outburst.

He had no idea how to respond.

Marco on the other hand, found it all quite hilarious.

"Ah-heh-heh-Ha! Now this one's got some spunk!" the Latino King said with no small amount of amusement. "But don't get ahead of yourself, kiddo. It took me over two thousand years to become the warrior I am today, and you've barely even started."

"Two thou… but… but you're Mom's age." The young Princess said bewilderedly. "How's that even possible?"

"Kid, when you get to be my age, you learn that almost anything is possible." He replied mischievously. "But if you'd like a more detailed answer, I'd be happy to oblige."

"What? You mean like tell us the story of how you became the most powerful warrior in the universe?"

"Sure. Why not? Hex is gonna be at least another hour. So we might as well kill some time."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~" Artemis squealed excitedly as she began to hop up and down like a schoolgirl; much to her father's displeasure.

"Now hold on there, Marco." The Mewman King said disapprovingly. "Star told me that story, and I hardly think it's appropriate for girls their age."

"You say that like I value your opinion." Marco replied bluntly, before shifting his focus toward the two young princesses. "Okay. Now, you girls know the story of how your mom and I got our Stands, right?"

Both girls nodded; one more feverishly than the other.

"Good, because this one takes place a few days after that." He said, pausing briefly to shift into storyteller mode. "It all started one afternoon while I was training at my old karate dojo. I was just sitting there; meditating. When out of nowhere, Jefferson and your Aunt Janna showed up and started busting my chops."

End Notes:

Thanks to everyone for all the support you gave to part one and I hope you give part 2 just as much love. Please remember to fav, follow, and review this story and I'll see you in the next chapter. Peace.