A/N: Hi everyone, my name is Kieran Wespell
This is the first fanfic I have ever written before and I really want to make a good first impression. So I made sure I put a lot of effort in this first chapter (or episode as I like to call them).
So yeah, the premise of this fic is that it's a season of Star vs The Forces of Evil, and every chapter is an episode. Each chapter will have it's own premise and it's own conclusion. Of course, I'll make sure to develop the characters with each chapters, and I'll even have a major story arc that ties this entire story together.
I'll always start these chapters with a premise as such:
Episode 1: Marco's Blue Belt Test Part 1
Description: When an accident occurs during Marco's all-important Blue Belt Test, it's up to Star to race against the clock to help her friend get his Blue belt.
Just like that.
If you want you can leave a review at the end, as those will be extremely helpful. Anyways, enjoy!
Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art
Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs the Forces of Evil, that belongs to it's creator, Daron Nefcy. Although if I did own it, I would add some more background music, it can get really quiet at times.
(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)
As they were walking down the sidewalk together, Janna could sense something bothering her best friend Jackie. Perhaps it was the fact that Jackie had barely made a dent on her cup of frozen yogurt. Or perhaps it was the way she limped on her skateboard with a seemingly lifeless stride as opposed to her usual confident vigor. Or maybe it was the blank expression on her face she wore as they cruised the sidewalk.
"You alright Jackie?" Janna asked. "You haven't been saying much since I came to pick you up."
"What?" Jackie replied innocuously. "I'm fine Janna, just kinda tired if anything." Jackie attempted to put on a bleak smile for reassurance. Janna wasn't buying it.
"Come on Jackie, you know this is so not like you at all. I got some time left to kill, so how about we go to the half-pipe and find some other skater bros there."
Jackie gave a long, drawn-out expression of doubt, as if she were mulling over the idea.
"Rather not," Jackie replied. "I just got out of a relationship, remember? Not really in the mood to hunker down with another guy at the moment."
Janna's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, this is about Justin isn't it? No wonder you've been so mopey all day."
"What, no, Janna this isn't about him. And besides it was an amicable split, no hard feelings whatsoever. Or at least, I don't have any."
"Eh, whatever."
They passed by the windowsill of the local strip mall dojo, when they heard the yelps of a familiar boy from the inside the building. The girls looked through the window to find a Latino boy in his karate uniform bowing down to another man, who could be assumed to be his superior judging by the man's muscular build and black belt. The man was holding a thick stack of wooden board halves in each hand. The crowd in the bleachers gave a round of applause for the boy.
"Yeah, you go Marco!" Jackie said, as Janna cheered him on, assuming he'd done something impressive.
The girls saw a blonde girl in a sleeveless, turquoise dress with rainbow stripes on the chest, jumped up from her seat and wailed in excitement and cheer. She held onto a purple wand on her right hand. In the midst of her excitement, a blast of purple light shot off from the wand, shattering part of the roof on top of her. Some of the crowd turned their heads towards her. The girl sat back down meekly.
Jackie watched Marco ready himself, as the instructor called down another pupil from the row of other students in the front. The instructor picked up a several wooden boards from a mountainous stack off to the side. The instructor held onto one side with both hands, while the volunteer held on to the other.
Marco shifted to the side ready to strike. In an instant, he jumped high in the air and kicked the boards by the side of his foot, shattering the stack of wood. Another round of applause for Marco, with Jackie and Jenna joining in from the outside.
"Impressive," Jackie said.
"You said it," Janna replied.
This time, the instructor brought out a concrete board instead of a wooden one. Marco's eyes flared in excitement as he began to get acquainted with the board. He motioned his legs in a roundhouse kick onto the concrete.
Marco prepared for his kick by readying his stance once more. His body swiveled to the side, as he forced his legs up. For a split-second Jackie's eyes caught onto Marco's. The wrong part of Marco's foot made impact with the solid concrete.
Even through the glass, Marco's muffled screams of agony could be heard outside. Jackie watched as he limped on his back, cradling his battered foot closer to his body. Janna reeled back in horror. The blonde girl from the bleachers jumped down to her friend in an instant. She looked at his foot and had to hold her mouth in from vomiting.
Jackie and Jenna drifted by, in a sort of shell-shocked manner. Jackie was the first to break the sudden silence.
"He's not gonna be okay," she said. "Maybe we should go back in and help."
"Nah, it'll be fine," Janna replied. "Star is with him, and I bet she can whip something up to fix his foot. Let's not interfere."
Jackie nodded. A faint growl trembled underneath her stomach, taking an arm to clench on top of it. Janna picked up on it with her dolphin-like hearing.
"Jackie, finish up your yogurt. I'm taking you to that Thai place you like. No buts, missy."
Janna knew Jackie wasn't going to argue over free food.
Marco straddled his broken foot next to his body. From the corner of his eye, he could see the horrific condition his foot was in. When he lifted his leg up, the foot dangled in front of him. The redness and swollenness of the foot contrasted with the rest of the body. Marco whimpered in pain underneath his breath.
"Marco!" Star said, as she jumped down off the bleachers, shoving away a few spectators on the way down. She rushed to Marco's side, and she crouched down next to Marco, putting a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. Marco stared onto Star's watering, concerned eyes.
"It's not so bad, Star? Right?"
Star glimpsed at Marco's foot. She can see partial bone fragments trying to poke out of his foot. His toes bent in awkward, unnatural positions, one in particular crookedly bent back all the way to the top of his foot. Marco could see Star place her hands on her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit. This made Marco shirk back in shame.
"Relax, Marco, it's not as bad as it looks, I swear." Star tried to reassure Marco, but even he could see the obvious horrific appearance of his foot.
Jeremy, a boy no older than seven or eight in a black belt, walked up to Marco with the biggest, patronizing grin on his face.
"She's right, it only a scratch Marco." Marco stared at the little boy with contempt. Jeremy's condescending comments were the last thing he needed in this situation. "So, come on Marco, if it's not that bad, just get up and break the board already. Master Keith doesn't have all day."
A man with a bulky, muscular build in a black uniform with the arms sleeves torn took a knee next to Marco. Marco, tried to turn the other way in embarrassment, not wanting to look at his master in the eye.
"I can get someone to take you to the hospital, and we can reschedule this test for another day, maybe as soon as your leg heals," Master Keith said. "No extra charge this time."
"That's a shame, Marco," Jeremy said in a presumptuous manner. "I guess you aren't getting a blue belt today. It's too bad, I was really rooting for you to get it today. At this rate, with your luck, you might just be stuck a green belt by the time I get a 2nd degree black belt."
Marco felt a nerve struck, and he could only grimace at the doting, arrogant child. He pulled Star in desperation, holding back the tears forming underneath his eyelids. "Star, please, I know you know a spell to fix this. Please Star, I need to get this blue belt." Marco choked in his sobs.
"Okay, okay Marco. It's going to be alright." Star tried to reassure her best friend. Marco watched as she bit on her wand, eyes of to the side, hoping she was rifling through her mind for some easy fix for his leg. "I got it Marco." She lifted her wand on top of his battered leg, the top glowing in a bright, luminous light.
"Legolas Defixio!"
A shroud of purple light emitted itself from the wand, concealing the bruised and horrifically battered foot. The pain from the foot began dissipating underneath the purple glow. A feeling of euphoria and pleasured travelled from Marco's battered right leg throughout his entire body. Marco closed his eyes and blushed from the exhilarating bliss.
When he opened his eyes again, Marco could only find a rounded stump where his foot used to be.
Both Star and Marco shrieked in horror. Star began hyperventilating before raising her wand once more.
"Animus de Cyclo!"
A beam of light was directed onto Marco's leg, transforming it into an oversized chicken leg. Marco's eyes could only open wide in terror.
"—de Cyclo!" Star said, trying again
Marco's leg was replaced with a gazelle's leg.
"—de Cyclo!" Star said in desperation.
A frog leg replaced the gazelle leg. Marco watched as Star slammed her head in frustration.
Star growled in her grievance, "Returnius Arma Normalius," before a beam of light was fired directly onto Marco's leg one more time. Marco pondered where he had heard that spell in the past. He looked down on the ground, noticing a full length arm, similar in size to his other leg, instead of anything else.
"Star, why did you just use the arm spell on me?" Marco asked, horrified.
"I don't know, Marco, I don't remember the names of spells off the top of my head," Star said. "Azarath Metrio—"
"Star, stop!" Marco interjected. "Casting random spells isn't gonna help anybody at this point."
Star muttered under her breath, "Where is the spell book when things like this?" Star eyes twinkled in realization. "Marco, where is the spell book? I remember asking you to bring it back."
"Yeah, I picked it up from Janna's place a couple days ago," Marco recalled, specifically because of a particularly awkward conversation with Jackie on the way there. "I think I dropped it off at your room."
"Well, stay here Marco, you are passing your test and getting a Blue belt today." Star ran out the door, leaving Marco essentially crippled on one of the most important days of his life.
Star startled Mrs. Diaz when she pounced through the door in her rush. She still hadn't notice Mrs. Diaz as she muttered to herself that she needed to remember that teleportation spell. Mrs. Diaz cleared her throat loudly to capture Star's attention.
"Oh sorry, Mrs. Diaz," Star said as she just noticed Marco's mom next to her, as well as the broken door frame.
"Oh no need to apologize," Mrs. Diaz replied. "You seem to be in a rush."
"Yeah you can say that."
"How did Marco's karate test go?" Mrs. Diaz asked. "I wish my husband and I were there, but apparently we would embarrass him on his big day. Well, I guess it's understandable. I used to think the same way about my parents."
"Marcos still doing it, he just asked me to pick up something from the house." Star ran up the stairs, passed Mrs. Diaz. "It's an emergency."
Mrs. Diaz just shrugged as the princess ran past her.
Inside her room, Star dashed through every nook and cranny in her room, hoping to find the book there. She shoved away everything in sight; every cabinet, every shelf, and even her Mirror phone, yet there was nothing. Star fell onto both knees, clasped her face with her hands and screamed in frustration. Her bangs fell over head, as tears formed in her eyelids. In the corner of her eye, she saw her bed. Hopeful, she slid underneath, to find a piece of paper instead of her precious spell book.
"I O U – Ferguson," it said. Star scowled in pure frustration.
Star ran out the house, note in one hand, and the wand in the other fixing her bangs. Mrs. Diaz threw a bottle of an exotic-looking, rainbow coloured drink. Star clasped it with both hands.
"Give it to Marco when you see him, it always cheers him up."
When Mrs. Diaz wasn't looking, Star sneaked a sip before placing it in her backpack. It tasted like every piece of candy, yet light to the touch.
Master Keith held out the concrete board for Marco once more. Marco positioned himself for a roundhouse kick, standing on his mutated hand foot, ignoring the awkward feeling of the mutated leg. Marco rotated his normal leg around for the kick. He slipped on his arm foot and fell on his back. Marco sighed.
Jeremy was on his back, laughing at Marco's pain and misery. The rest of the students just looked on in pity.
"Poor guy," one of the male students said.
"You can't fault the man's determination." Everyone else agreed with that sentiment.
Marco pushed himself back up, and positioned his body for another roundhouse kick.
"You know, we can still reschedule for as early as tomorrow even, if your friend can fix your foot soon." Master Keith held out the board for Marco, as Marco attempted another kick.
"I don't need to," Marco replied, slipping on his hand foot for the umpteenth time.
Star found Ferguson exiting the convenience store with a decently large blue slushy on his right hand, while his pants pockets filled to the brim with an assortment of chocolate bars. He was sipping on his slushy, when Star pounced on top from out of nowhere, dropping his slushy as well as all the chocolate in his pockets. Fergusson managed a tiny yelp before Star began throttling him.
"Where is it?" Star asked anxiously.
"I don't know what you are the talking about," Ferguson could muster between shakes.
"The book, where is it?"
"You mean that gigantic book of mumbo jumbo? I thought Marco had it."
Star armed her wand, shoving it extremely close to Ferguson's abdomen. The star insignia glowed dimly.
"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be Narwhal, Ferguson?" He whimpered and shook his head. "Now I've seen your IOU note underneath my bed Fergusson, I know you have it somewhere. Tell me where it is, or the only thing you'll be eating for the next few days is fish and whatever else Narwhals eat."
"Okay, I gave it Janna," he whimpered. Relief washed over him as the wand stopped glowing.
"Janna?"
"Yeah, she said she'd make out with me if I gave it to her," Ferguson said. Star mouth instinctively opened wide in shock. "I don't know what she wanted with it, but I wasn't going to miss out my only chance at kissing a girl."
Just as Star was about to run off to find Janna, she glanced at the sorry sight that was Ferguson. His entire body was covered in slushy, as well as half-melted chocolate. He was choking on his sobs and he laid there in fear. Star knew she couldn't leave him like this.
"Thanks, Star," Ferguson said, before taking a sip of a brand new blue slushy.
Star ran off without saying goodbye. Her feet grew sore with every step.
Don't worry Marco, I'll get you that Blue belt one way or another, she muttered underneath her breath.
Star considered herself to be a relatively heavy sleeper. From earthquakes to her overbearing mother shouting over her ear, nothing could seemingly wake up the princess. She has once even boasted about being able to sleep through anything to her friend Pony Head, as if it was an achievement to be proud of. So it was truly impressive when the sound of wood breaking and yelps had roused the slumbering princess from her bed. At nearly 5:30 in the morning.
Growing impatient and unable to fall asleep, Star rose from her bed grumpily, setting her sleep mask off to the side on her bed stand. Star marched towards the source of all the noise early in the morning, Marco's room. She opened the door, finding Marco shattering a stack of wooden boards laying on top of a cinder block with a well-placed Karate chop. Marco turned around to see as Star stood there with bloodshot eyes and bags under her eyes.
"Marco Diaz, it's five o'clock, it's way too early to be doing Karate or whatever…" Star closed the door behind her and slumped on her back. "Besides, what are you do – doing practicing—"Those were the only words she could have mustered in her confused, drowsy state before droning out, mouth wide open.
"Hang on, Star," Marco said. "I got just the thing to perk you up in the morning."
Marco pulled her to the side to get out through the door. When he came back, he had a glass of multi-coloured liquid on hand. Star identified the relatively pungent smell of fruit punch with a hint of coffee grinds.
"Open wide, Star." Star didn't resist as Marco poured the drink into Star's mouth. The instant burst of candy-flavoured sweetness made Star's eyes open wide in excitement. Star can feel the bags under eyes recede as her mind grew more alert and aware. Even the bloodshot eyes were fading away. Star swiped the glass from Marco's hand. She downed the rest of the contents into her body, the drowsiness disappearing after every gulp. "Better?" Marco asked.
"Whoa, that was really good." Star handed the glass back to Marco. "What's in that stuff?"
"I'll be honest, I have no clue," Marco replied. "I've seen my mom pour crushed coffee beans in, but I have no idea how she makes the rainbow colours. Apparently, it's a 'Diaz family secret' that I would only be allowed to know when I'm eighteen."
Star moaned in delight, sticking her rainbow coloured tongue out like a dog.
"Anyways, you were saying," Marco said.
"Oh yeah, right. What are you doing at five in the morning practicing karate? It's way too early to do anything except sleep."
"Today is the day of my blue belt test." Star stared at Marco, puzzled. "You know, the belt test. Every martial art has a belt test, where they test you on everything you've learnt. If you pass, you get a new, better belt colour. If you don't, well, you're stuck on the belt you are at, 'til the next opportunity for a test comes up."
Star nodded in understanding.
"You know how long I've been waiting for this, Star?" Star shook her head. "Six months Star. I was supposed to get my blue belt six months ago."
Star leaned in and payed close attention to Marco.
"For the last six months, every time test day came, something always comes up and I have to keep pushing back that day," he said. "It's always a family emergency, or something got broken, and even Ludo has been interfering at the worst possible times"
Star put a hand on Marco's shoulder in sympathy.
"I'm making sure I get my blue belt today, no matter what it takes."
"Anything you need me to do, Marco?"
"Yeah, actually," Marco said, as he walked across the room to pick up a pile of wooden boards. "I need to practice my roundhouse, and practicing kicks is easier when another person holds the board."
Star smiled and complied; she grabbed a board and positioned herself for Marco.
Roundhouse kicks weren't the only thing they practiced. Marco and Star procedurally went through every kind of kick that Marco could find off the top of his head. Flying side-kicks, butterfly kicks and even a 540 spinning hook kick were done as properly and efficiently as possible. Marco refused a foot message, even when his legs were getting tired.
Next, Marco performed a variety of Karate patterns, in-sync with Star counting out loud. This exercise confused the Mewnian Princess.
Star observed Marco sparring with a hanging punching bag. She was enamored by the lightning-fast kicks and punches Marco doled out onto the bag. It crumbled under the pressure of a powerful roundhouse kick, sending it slumped to the ground. Star, impressed, gave a round of applause for Marco.
With a flick of her wand, Star levitated several wooden boards around Marco. In a seemingly abrupt blink of an eye, Marco smashed the boards with ease. He wiped the sweat underneath his brow before going on.
Finally, Marco had to get his dad to help him with the next exercise. Mr. Diaz brought up a concrete block with him. Star even knocked on it, concerned Marco wouldn't be able to break something so solid. Star and Mr. Diaz positioned themselves properly, both holding a different side of the board. Marco prepared himself in the proper stance for the kick. Marco rotated his body, jumped while facing the side and in explosive fashion, kicked the concrete straight at the center, shattering it in half. Star looked at the half broken piece of concrete in shock, as Mr. Diaz congratulated his son with a pat on the back.
Marco passed out on the bed in exhaustion. Star takes a seat next to him. She puts the concrete off to the side.
"Marco, I knew you did Karate, but I never knew you were this good." Star took another glance at the shattered concrete, as well as the slumped over punching bag.
"Meh, it all comes from a lot of practice and frustration," Marco said. "Mostly frustration."
"If it were up to me, I would give you a blue belt on the spot."
"Yeah, but too bad the world doesn't work like that," Marco replied. Marco yawned and stretched his arms out before placing them behind his head.
"Seems like you're really tired, I'll get out of your hair and let you take a nap." Star got up and walked towards the door.
"Nah, Star, stay. I could use a little company, if you don't mind." Star shifted Marco off to the side a bit, lying herself next to Marco. For a moment, both just stared up the ceiling, seemingly content to just lie there in silence. "Star, there's one thing I wanna ask.
"Has there ever been a time in your life where you were just so close to something, but life, fate, destiny or whatever, just takes it away from you like a cruel bait-and-switch joke?"
Star pondered on the question momentarily. She replied, "I lived as a princess of a huge kingdom. Anytime I wanted something, I just asked and then my parents or one of the servants would go out and get it. So, I guess not."
"Well, I guess you're lucky," Marco said. "Sometimes, I think the only reason I exist is to be a punchline to some higher power's joke."
"Come on Marco. Don't be ridiculous, you're a great guy, you don't need a blue belt to tell you that."
"It's not about the blue belt, Star," he replied. "It feels like everything good gets pulled away the moment I try to pounce for it."
Star realized he was referring to Jackie Lynn Thomas choosing Justin, the football star over him. She remembered all the complex, convoluted schemes they set up together to win Jackie's heart that day, only to be utterly ignored for some blonde-haired jock.
"That's why I want this blue belt. This is the one thing right now, I know, I won't let out of my grasp. I don't care if I lose a limb or two or it, I'll keep working for this blue belt." Marco stood up from the bed and walked out the door. "I'm going to take a shower. Once I get out, prep the boards again, I want to perfect the roundhouse kick before we get to the dojo."
Star watched the Karate boy walk out the room. Even if she hadn't been through what he has, she could empathize with him, understanding the pain and suffering Marco had been going through.
So when Star rushed to find Janna in Echo Creek, she remembered that conversation in the morning. She remembered the first day she'd arrived at Earth, where Marco was compassionate enough to let her stay at his house, despite the fact she ruined his room with a black hole.
She remembered why she had to keep running, no matter how sore her legs were.
