Chapter 4: The Armor of Shadows
Hey Guys, sorry for the delay but I was super busy with helping family and my computer corrupting some data like my Microsoft Words. So yeah I had to reinstall a lot of things and replace a Hard Drive.
Hopefully everyone likes the story and wants more to come. Leave some feedback if you like and let's get to it.
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own or Claim Any Sort of Rights for Star vs. the Forces of Evil and its characters. All rights go to Disney and creator Daron Nefcy. This is for entertainment purposes only; I do add other character and choose to have a right to for the purpose of conducting this Fan Fiction. Scenes maybe to obscene for young readers; reader discretion is advised. 18+
Marco and Higgs are inside the armor shop looking for equipment for their upcoming quest. Marco is trying on an armor helm and is getting a little bored. Higgs on the other hand is searching on the other side of the aisle across from him.
"So what is it you're looking for?" Marco's voice breaks the silence. He peeks through the shelving with a helm on and looks at Higgs.
"I need some new bracers but I love the helm, covers that hideous look you have all the time." Higgs is seen holding a bracer to her arm to see if she likes the look for her.
"Oh real funny Tangerine." Marco teasingly said as Higgs said punching him through the shelf. Marco pulls the helm off his head and rubs his nose.
"Then don't ever call me that again." Marco gave thumbs up and continued browsing the shelves.
He started to walk through each aisle in awe seeing all the amazing equipment. They were beautiful pieces that showed the craftsmanship of every blacksmith. They're signature's were all unique just like their style of armor.
A few minutes passed and Marco came across a set of armor that looked like black crystals scaling across it. The crystals looked like Dragon Scales that had been plucked and placed beautifully. He picked up a bracer and surprisingly it was lighter then it looked. The scales were extremely hard but flexible as well.
The bracers were so amazing that Marco couldn't help but forget about everything else he had just seen. He wanted to ask Higgs what she thought of them but he couldn't wait and wanted to show them off. He started walking towards the dressing room near the back and passed some regular clothes. Immediately noticing a red long sleeved (slight) v neck shirt, it looked quite modern but made to look older and worn.
Marco grabbed that and seen some pants that looked like his. He then found some shoes in the pile that stood out from the rest for some reason. They were dark with a red trimmed lining to define the flexi material.
'I'll try these on and I bet ill look awesome to blow Higgs away…' Marco started walking again to the dressing room.
'Wait… Why is the first thing that comes to mind to impressing her? I wonder if it's because she's wearing my sweater, well she did look cute as hell when she was all snuggled into it but it was a little embarrassing. The curse is lifted and I can't believe how much influence it had over my feelings for Star. Kelly would have been great to try something with and actually still is, but… her feelings for Tadd are just a little too much for me to handle.'
Marco couldn't relate to Kelly's feelings towards Tadd anymore. His feeling fell short almost immediately once the Blood Moon Curse was lifted. His shackles that held him in place within a blind love for his best friend was truly an imprisonment, they suffocated his own heart. So when he was finally able to move on from that prison he was in for so long.
Marco arrived at the dressing room and walked into one of the walled areas and closed the curtain that read on the outside 'Occupied'. The dressing room had another door into a wash room to clean up before hand. Marco placed his clothes on a shelf along with his armor set he found and started to undress. His belt buckle was bent from the spar with Bronson and hard to take off.
"Well another place he got me at… not cool Bronson a bit too close for comfort." Marco continued to fiddle with his belt buckle until he heard a snicker in the background. "Higgs come on are you trying to peek on me?" Marco asked with a teasing tone.
"No you pervert! I should blame you for trying to peek since I was here first. And don't you dare try it or I WILL KILL YOU!" She could here Marco laughing at her flustered warning.
Marco finally got the buckle off and undressed. "I'm going to jump in for a rinse so give me a minute." He opened the secondary door walking into a shower area. The door was made out of stained glass and started from about knee height and ended up to the chest area.
Higgs could hear him turning the shower on. Marco winced a bit when he felt the hot water hit his cuts on his shoulder and cheek. His shoulder started to bleed a little from the water washing away the dry blood exposing the wound once again. Higgs could hear him from where she was.
"Marco, are you okay?" Higgs couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah I'm fine just my shoulder reopened from the hot water. I need to get some bandages later." Marco was looking at his shoulder as he was cleaning it. He was so focused on trying to make sure it was getting cleaned, he didn't notice the curtain open behind him.
"Let me see." Higgs voice was low filled with embarrassment and even though Marco was covered by stained glass he still placed a towel around his waist covering himself up.
"Higgs what the hell, I'm nake…d? Marco noticed a half dressed Higgs wearing his sweater that hung just over her thighs like a short skirt. Her hands pulled it down to make sure absolutely nothing showed underneath it with something in her hands as she held the sweater in place. He tore his eyes away from the heavenly sight that was now behind him.
"I just wanted to help and patch you up so you can clean yourself properly." Higgs was completely red and could barely believe why she herself was doing something so out of character for her.
"I'll just put the tape on real fast. Just hold up your arm and don't turn around." Marco lifted his arm over the glass door and kept his other hand on his towel to be safe. He stared off at the shower still running and steam filling the room. He didn't know why he was going along with her absurd request but he couldn't resist her for some reason.
Marco felt a sharp pain as Higgs was taping his shoulder. He turned his head to see her wrapping his shoulder with such a cute embarrassed and focused face. His eyes focused on her and he noticed something that grabbed his attention a pair of azure blue striped panties. 'Calm down Diaz… she well kill me but I just can't resist looking at her. She's so defenseless right now but I can't, I am a knight. Oh Shit….'
"TURN AROUND!" Higgs almost broke his neck when she forced his face the other way. "Did you see?"
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't help it." Marco's face was hotter than usual and his nose had a trickle of blood coming out. He then felt massive amount of pain from her tightening the knot around the wound.
Marco heard the curtain slide open and shut from her storming out of the changing room he was using. "Higgs I'm sorry I didn't mean to." He didn't hear a response the rest of the time he took a shower. He could hear her taking her shower and felt a bit bad for making her feel like that.
'He saw me. He saw me, and I was wearing the striped pair today. He probably thinks I'm even more of a child now. My breasts are small, I myself am small, and now my panties are those of a child.' Higgs felt as though she had lost a chance at something but hated the fact that he could make her feel like this.
She thought of the times they met each other. She was jealous how some outsider could befriend and work for a princess so easily. She had worked hard and been through a lot for a position but then when she heard that the princess had made him a squire, she wanted to see why it had to be him. She later found out that he wasn't normal.
Marco was able to help protect and fight alongside the princess and the Queen of Mewni. He even fought and lived from fighting the immortal lizard Toffee. And if she didn't think that was good enough she also had to hear how he fought against Meteora holding her off giving people enough time to evacuate. Most of the citizens were still attacked but he still gave enough time that she didn't think even her and the knight's could do.
He wasn't a normal guy, and she finally knew why. He wasn't just some teen, he was a man within the body of a younger version of himself the entire time. She felt like he was leagues ahead of her. She had 2 hidden feelings connected to him.
The jealousy of his strength and the feeling she didn't understand when she was around him. From the first time they met she thought he would be someone who would look down on her. Just another self righteous spoiled brat who believed they were above everyone else. But she was wrong. He was kind and selfless to his princess and people who weren't even his.
Marco even stayed to contribute to the kingdom. Higgs couldn't just turn a blind eye to this. She saw him not only in a new light, but a new world, that he helped create. She didn't see him as a boy who got everything handed to him. She saw him as a man that had the qualities of a true knight. Her jealousy showed but her inner woman peeked through. This is why she was so flustered because she didn't think he would want to be with a girl that has a child's body.
After some time had passed Marco had finished and began to get changed into the clothes he picked out. He put on the long sleeved red shirt and dark pants with his new shoes. 'Whoa these soles are amazing. They feel like I'm standing on padded feathers.' Marco was satisfied with what he was wearing now came the armor.
He placed the bracers on his forearms and secured them. Next was the shin guards, as he secured them he noticed they somewhat bended along his leg. He grabbed them and was still dumbfounded by its hardness.
"They're made out of Crystal Shadow Scales from SS Ranked Dragon." Bronson opens the curtain noticing Marco trying out his equipment.
"A group of knights had an extermination quest to kill the Dragon. Turns out they didn't know how smart she was. Only a handful of men survive from the scores that were sent, they brought back the scales as a gift to the Queen and sold the rest over the black market. And yours truly was good friends with the Queen so I got some of her materials. But between you and me I was still able to get more later from the secondary source." Bronson had a huge smile on his face as he looked at Marco.
"It's really nice and comfortable as hell." Marco complimented as he got up and did a couple martial arts moves to get the feel of the flexibility.
"Well I'm glad you like it so much, No one has ever wanted it because the men that came back from the quest ended up dying a slow death. They say they died of injuries and slow killing poison that lingered within the system." Marco had a worried look on his face before he opened his mouth for a question.
"But that isn't what it was… was it?"
"No. Some wives of the men said they died after screaming from a nightmare that very night." Marco eyes stayed glued to Bronson's. "Yeah a nightmare and when the women tried to awake them by opening their eyes they saw nothing. A pitch blackness that was void of light." Bronson looked at Marco who had stood still when hearing of their demise.
"Like a shadow…" Marco looked down at the armor he was wearing and balled his fist to show that he was able to look past it all.
"Mewmans are superstitious and believe in curses. The citizens aren't very smart and trust me its best that way. They need to feel at ease and that's why they need people like you. Someone who can take pain and steal the pain that weighs upon their minds and heart. They need knights that can protect them from hell itself." Bronson was very blunt about the harshness of this world. He knew Marco wouldn't run from it since he somewhat knew they shared the same resolve.
"Also those shoes are padded and enchanted with an absorption effect to lessen the pain of a fall. The more you train yourself that higher they will adapt to you. Meaning 20 feet right now will sting but later you might only feel a sting around 60 feet." Bronson had given Marco all the advice of his equipment he could. He then started to walk off as Marco dwelled on the words he said from before.
'I wonder if I can live up to you old man. But what I really want is to surpass him, to become so strong I don't need to worry about the people I care for. I want to be strong enough to take on man and beast alike. I need a reason to live this life and not the one I left behind in the Neverzone.' Marco wanted to go back once but Star was the reason he stayed. The curse was both his emotion and his shackle.
Marco seems to have battled within himself to go back to the Neverzone for good. He just wanted to go back to the life he seemed so honorable in. But he knew even now after nothing holds him back that he needs to make his true self shine as he does there. That is why he stayed in Mewni for the knights. He wanted to find his own way again as a knight.
'Well I'm as done as I can be. I will grab Higgs so we can… Ugh I almost forgot about that. I wonder if she's still mad at…'
"Marco let's go, it's already 5 o'clock. We need to pay this stuff and grab something to eat before we head back." Higgs came out from around the corner of the curtain to hurry Marco.
"Yeah I'm ready, but wait. Are you okay?" Marco had slightly grabbed her arm.
"Yes I'm fine. Here you can have your sweater back." Higgs pulled away and shoved it into his arms as she walked off to the other room.
'Yeah I fucked up.' Marco was a little down from the thought of her hating him now.
"Marco, come on I'm hungry!" Higgs shouted through the shop. Marco with a smile on his face headed for the door.
"Yeah yeah I'm coming!" Marco replied back as he put his sweater on and went on to purchase the items he had now finished getting.
Marco and Higgs paid for the items and even got a discount for the armor pieces. Marco needed the discount since the material used was from a SS Ranked Beast, and not just any beast but a Dragon. He had more than enough money left for anything he might need like previsions and supplies.
"Well that's enough for prep, let's get something to eat." Marco walked along side Higgs as she led the way to a nearby food stand. Higgs walked in front of Marco as she hugged herself a little. She wasn't wearing her bracers and had her armor in a sack that Marco volunteered to carry for her.
They both got to the food stand with stools in front of it and Marco placed her armor down in between them and the stools. Marco took his sweater off before sitting down and placed it over her shoulders.
"Yeah I don't really need it right now, plus you looked like you wanted it back." Marco sat next to her and called the man cooking over to them and ordered. Higgs just got the same he had ordered and snuggled up into the sweater.
'It's so warm.' Higgs had thought as she zipped it all the way up. Even though he had just taken a shower and cleaned himself it had already captured his scent. They both waited for their food next to each other in silence until Marco spoke out.
"Hey I'm sorry about earlier. I guess I got a little carried away." Marco said as he looked off watching the man cook behind a wall with an open window.
"It's okay… Kind of, but I'm not really mad about you seeing me. It doesn't really matter let's just get over that." Higgs didn't want to admit that it was due to her feeling self conscious about her body.
"Well still just want to apologize if I offended you, I just couldn't tear my eyes away is all. So yeah, hope you can look over that mistake I made." The cook in the back was preparing the plating of food and about to give them there order. Marco looked at Higgs with concern but a smile came upon his face when he saw her looking forward with a cute smile of her own.
The cook served their orders on the bar in front of them and they began to eat. "So after this grab some sleep and head out before dawn." Marco stated to be sure Higgs didn't need anything else.
"Yep that's the plan. Sir Stabby and the others will accompany us along the way to meet the merchant." Higgs confirmed.
"Can I ask you something?" Marco was curious about something that he has been wondering for a while now.
"What is it?" Higgs said.
"What is Bronson to you? I noticed you both seem super close but you don't call him dad." Marco asked.
"He is more like my uncle. He and my father were like brothers during the war with Toffee. My parents died along with Queen Comet, Queen Moon's mother." Higgs looked a little down but was fine since her parents died with honor and knew she knew they did their sworn duty till the very end.
"Oh… I'm so sorry Higgs. If I offende..." Marco was interrupted.
"It's fine Marco. They fulfilled their duty as knights and saved my uncle's life. Bronson took me in when I was a child after coming back from the war. Queen Moon favored him and my family for protecting their Queen to the end. She mourned all the knights that fell that day and didn't blame a single one for the death of her mother. She knew said they deserved the highest honor and burial." Higgs continued and praised Queen Moon for her kindness towards her parents and to her Kingdom.
"Even as a child, she was Queen to her kingdom." Marco interjected.
"Yes. For years I heard the stories of my mother and father. But what inspired me most was my mother. She was a knight who fought alongside the Queen in dire situations even before the war." Higgs eyes were lit up and Marco couldn't believe how inspired she looked right now. "I aspire to be like her someday but not just for the Queen but for the people."
'Higgs doesn't seem to be hurt by it too much. But she is stronger than she looks. Everyone moves on and it looks like she chose to be a woman of strength and honor.' Marco's mind is eased by her resolve.
"With Bronson I trained with weapons everyday and learned the ways of a sword. He didn't want to teach me too much out of habit. I worked towards becoming a knight so that's when I met Sit Stabby. He began to be a regular for Bronson and I asked to be his squire. We sparred and he liked that I wasn't completely useless so he took me as a squire." Higgs was smiling and seemed happy that she had gotten so far.
"Well you are pretty amazing. To be honest I wouldn't have imagined that you were so strong and brave Higgs." Marco noticed Higgs looking at him with a scowl. "Whoa, calm down little one. I'm just saying is that you are underestimated in many ways." Higgs lightly punched him on his arm. "Ah… well since we're finished let head back and get some rest for our quest tomorrow." Higgs got up from the stool and brushed any dust off of her.
"Just grab the Sack and let's go." Higgs was already a few feet away but stopped and turned around with a smile. "Hurry or I'll leave you behind." She whipped back around and had a massive grin upon her face.
"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." Marco replied as they headed back together to the Knight's Den. 'Can't wait till tomorrow. My first quest as a knight in Mewni, hopefully it might be half as entertaining as the Neverzone was.'
Hey just hope you liked the chapter but just a head up. Next chapter will be starting to rev up a bit more and hopefully you will enjoy it. The setup process is enough for now. If you're enjoying it Favorite and Follow the story, if you want to give any advice or any criticism just leave a comment for that or just anything else. See you guys next week.
