"Uuuggghh, this is a nightmare." Marco said, taking a yellow pillow off his face. He was laying on Star's bed, his right arm in a caste that was signed and doodled all over exclusively by his best friend, Star. Marco sat up, irritation and disappointment evident on his face. "If I cant fight Jeremy, he'll say I wussed out and he'll never let me live it down."
Marco was frustrated, but he had no one to blame but himself. He had tried to show off and chop through several pieces of wood, and it ended up breaking his hand. He was just so over-confident and excited, he did it without thinking. Normally, he would've thought these things through, but when he was focused on fighting he just got so lost in it that he acted on nothing impulse.
"Pigtails, ponytails, pigtails, ponytails." Star said over and over as she used her magic to change her hairstyle repeatedly. Marco looked up at her her, eyes widening in realization.
"Wait a minute, Star. You have a wand! You can just, fix my hand!" Marco said, causing Star to stop changing her hair style and turn to him, with her hair a complete mess of braids.
"Yeeaaahh...that sort of spell's not really in my comfort zone. But if you like, I can give a pretty wicked set of pigtails." Star said, changing her hair one last time and showing him her style. Marco was about to say something else, but there was a knock at the door. Both the teens looked over as Marco's mom partially came in.
"Star, dear, have you-" she stopped as she saw Marco. "Oh, there you are Marco."
"Hey mom, what's up?" He said. She sighed, opening the door completely and stepping inside.
"Your father and I would like to speak with you downstairs." She said. Marco blinked, confused. As his mom left, Marco got up to follow her.
"Fix me later." Marco said to Star on the way out, pointing to her with a squint in his eyes.
He turned and quickly stepped down the stairs. He saw his mother sitting down just as she arrived in the living room, right next to his father. Both of them had an uncharacteristically serious look on their faces, and Marco immediately thought there was some bad news that they had to tell him. That was until he looked over to see a third person present in the living room.
Star's dad, the king of Mewni, was standing across the room, two knights by his side. He looked as serious as his parents did, which raised several flags in his head. Immediately, his thoughts went to Star.
"What's wrong? Does it have to with Star?" He asked before the people in the room had fully noticed his presence. In unison, everyone in the room turned to room.
"Young Marco, how are you today?" King butterfly said. "I'm actually here to talk to you, young Diaz."
"Me?" Marco asked, confused. King Butterfly gave one nod. "So it's not about Star?"
"No, it's not." The King said.
"Son, you may want to come sit down for a moment." His mother said, patting the area on the couch between her and his father. He blinked and stood there for a moment, before walking over and sitting down in confusion. King Butterfly sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
"I am going to tell you many things in the next few moments." He said. "Things that will first sound impossible, then they will shock you. Perhaps you will be angry for a while, but overtime you will understand."
"...uhh, what are you talking about?" He said. King butterfly took a deep breath and opened his eyes, making eye contact with the teen.
"I think that you're mother should start before I say anything." He said. Marco blinked, and faced his mom. She smiled at him before taking a deep breath.
"Okay, before I start, I need you to keep an open mind." She said. "And try not to...freak out, all right?"
"...all right." He said, still plenty confused. His mother gave him a small smile before continuing.
"My father was...he was not born on this planet." She said. Marco blinked for a second, not fully understanding what she had said for a few moments.
"Wait...what?" He asked, eyes widening. He had ever met his mother's dad, nor
"He was born on a planet too far for Earth's rockets to reach. No one was really sure how he was sent here or why, but he grew up on this planet, somewhere in China. He looked exactly like the people on this planet did, so it was easy to live here." She had started to go into the history of her father, but Marco still had one question to ask before she continued.
"Wait, wait, wait." He said, putting up his good hand. "Are you saying that...my grandpa was an...alien?"
"Well...yes." She said. "He came from a warrior race called the saiya people, or saiyans. He married a human woman, my mother. I'm half saiyan, and since your father is human, your one-fourth saiyan."
"...All right." Marco said quietly, setting his hand down. His mother took a small breath before continuing.
"But his life was anything but peaceful. He was a martial artist. I don't know if it was just him or his saiyan blood, but he loved three things above all in this world. Food, his wife, and fighting. He trained unbelievably in his lifetime, and fought in every tournament he could. Ever since he was a small boy, martial arts was his passion. All his life, he found true happiness in the ring."
"...I...think I know how he felt." Marco said, remembering the first time he fought Ludo's army with Star.
"I can see a little of him in you, you know." His mother said. "After a many years of fighting, he found something that completely changed his life. He was too strong."
"I was there when he realized it." His dad said suddenly. Marco blinked it surprise and turned to him. "I was a young boy on a family trip. My father had brought to the tournament as way of manly-bonding. In the ring was this spiky haired best of a man. The first person he fought, he threw a single punch all out and his opponent flew out of the ring. What was more surprising to me was the look of confusion on his face, which gave away to disappointment. From that point on, he never went all out. I was completely mesmerized by this man, and I never imagined I would one day end up marrying his daughter."
"Even after this, he still thought his strength wasn't reaching it's full potential." His mother said. "And he was right. He kept training and kept training. His strength, his speed, his power, skills, abilities. They were all unheard of to most humans of earth, which was made possible because of his saiyan biology. The things he could do were amazing. When I was thirteen, I finally saw him able to go all out against someone. I never got his opponent's name, but he was clearly not from this planet. Still, the battle they had...I can still feel chills of seeing the absolute destructive power they wielded.
I did not hold the same passion for fighting as my father did. I took more after my mother, an English women who almost loathed fighting or any kind of violence completely. I never understood how they fell for each other, they were nothing alike. Anyways, since I never went through any training or fought at all. But I know if I had done all that he had done, then I could have had the power he had."
"Just...how strong was he?" Marco asked. There was a moment of silence, and a look that was passed between the three adults in the room, before his mother spoke again.
"If the stories I heard from him were correct, and I had no reason to doubt him, by the time he was your age he had defeated an entire army, several demons, and...at one point, a fight between him and a rival of his destroyed the moon." His mother said.
"...wait...what?! Seriously?!" Marco looked between her and his dad. "You guys have to be joking."
"Marco," King Butterfly said, breaking the silence he had up until now, "I assure, this is no joke. When he was a mere boy, he had the power to destroy a the moon. The only reason you still have one is because my wife, the queen of Mewni, came and used most of her magic to make a new one."
"But...but I would've heard about this. There would at least be stories, if not videos or news-"
"There are." His mother said. "In China. Which no one takes seriously, since the moon was put back."
"This...this is really happening, isn't it?" Marco said, blinking wide-eyed. All the information had finally started to settle in. His mother gave him a soft look and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I've seen my father fight beings who could destroy this planet may times over, including a tyrant who was notorious for conquering and destroying planets all across the universe and beyond, a being who could heal from the deadliest of wounds. He even fought a being considered to be on the same level as a god."
"...I..." Marco said, lost for words, completely shocked. He looked at the ground, shocked and confused. "I need time to process this." His mother rubbed his back while his father grasped his shoulder.
"We were going to wait until you were eighteen to tell you all this. Your grandfather said it would be best if waited." His dad said. Marco's head was spinning, trying to wrap around what they were saying. He had gotten used to Star, but they were different. She was born on another world, one the had actual magic and stuff. On earth, stuff like this wasn't possible. But then again, his grandpa wasn't from earth either. What was to say what he was capable of.
"Young Marco, I understand you must be confused, but there is a reason I am here, and to why your parents have told you this." Kind Butterfly said, and Marco looked up at him. "Your planet, along with mine and countless others, are in danger."
"The...planet?" Marco asked. Kind butterfly gave him a curt nod as a response.
"As we speak, a villain is heading this way, the likes which you or Star have never faced before. He is going to be here soon and, although Star's magic is powerful, I fear even given a years time to train will not give her access to the power she needs to defeat this man." King Butterfly said. "Very recently I have met with the surviving members of the saiyan race. I believe that if you are to train under the different masters that I have gathered in this past month, you too will unlock the saiyans full potential."
"You must understand this Marco." His mother said. "This being is ruthless and evil to every degree. He cherishes nothing more than the absolute pain and suffering he can inflict on a people, and then he destroy an entire planet just for the smallest amount of resistance. If he is not taken down, he will continue to kill across the universe and beyond."
"...So...what am I supposed to do?" Marco said.
"You will be trained in the from of martial arts that your grandfather was taught by his master. You will learn all the things he was able to do, and unlock the power in yourself that comes with saiyan blood." King Butterfly said. "Understand this Marco. Your grandfather was able to do things that Star, nor my wife was able to do. While in terms of destructive force, him and my wife were all but equal. However, his speed and skills would have proved to much for my wife to handle."
"Wait...so he could...use magic?" Marco asked, eyes widening.
"...A form of magic, I suppose." King Butterfly said. "I did not receive his training, nor did he explain to me the force behind his, as he said 'ki attacks.' But from what I witnessed, it was extremely similar. I am not him nor his teachers, so I can not explain it to you, only recall what I witnessed."
"...Okay...okay, I think I'm finally getting this all." Marco said. "So, I have to train to fight this guy...who can destroy planets?"
"Son, I know how impossible all this must seem to you." His father said. Marco turned to him. "If I had not seen this power myself, I would not believe it either. But the threat is very real, and right now, you are our only hope."
"The hope of the universe rests on your shoulders now, Marco." His mother said. Marco looked down at the ground, the weight placed on him incredible. "This all seems to sudden, I know. But we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't have any other choice. I hate the idea of you fighting that monster, but there is simply no other choice."
"I understand...I think." Marco said. "It's just...a lot to take in."
"Marco, I know that we are putting you under an immense amount of pressure. You are very young, and most likely not prepared for this kind of responsibility." The King said. "But, if you do not defeat this villain...this universe will die.
You have three months to prepare."